I am Become Death
by hyvnn
Summary: He was touched by death when he entered this world, and he would never be touched by death again. (Concepts from Ajin: Demi-Human)
1. Prologue - Do Ghosts Exist

**Decided to edit this story a little. I really like the concept, but I rushed into it too fast. It should be better now.**

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I am Become Death

Prologue – Do Ghosts Exist?

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 _Team Ro, the Hokage's personal ANBU cell, housed multiple shinobi who were considered…_ more _than ordinary ninja._

The dog-masked operative nodded, giving his crow-masked teammate the go-ahead.

 _From Hatake Kakashi, the boy wonder who graduated the academy at only five, and became a chūnin at six. The only surviving student of the Lord Fourth Hokage. To Uchiha Itachi, the youngest ANBU agent in history. A boy unbound by hatred. A child prodigy far beyond any other that came before him._

The crow-masked ANBU simply sat there.

 _Team Ro was famous amongst the other ANBU, having housed some of the most deadly shinobi that had ever come out of Konohagakure no Sato. An ANBU cell that didn't take their orders from the ANBU-Commander, but the Hokage himself. The best of the best._

The two ANBU, codenames Dog and Crow, stood on the hillside that overlooked the fortress before them, their mission within the powerful stone walls.

 _It was said—whispered, really—that there was a ghost on this team, on Team Ro. And that this ghost served the Lord Hokage, taking the lives of Konoha's enemies without them ever knowing anything was amiss until they left this world, dead._

A defector, a shinobi who abandoned the village. A traitor. His name wasn't important. His actions, though, were. Selling village secrets was high treason. A death sentence.

 _Most who hear this story simply brush it off, paying no mind to rumors and gossip. It was mostly other ANBU who heard this story anyway, and most ANBU weren't afraid of childish nonsense like tales of ghosts._

The Lord Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had summoned his personal ANBU unit, Team Ro, and issued an assassination order for the man who dared to cross the _God of Shinobi_. Hatake Kakashi, the captain of Team Ro, only took one shinobi with him.

 _But when confronted, the members of Team Ro neither denied nor confirmed the whispers of their peers. They simply smiled, leaving others to only wonder… What if?_

Dog was a powerful shinobi, a jōnin. He was taught by the Lord Fourth Hokage himself, and had both participated in, and survived, war. He was hailed as a prodigy, a child genius. And maybe he was.

 _What if the stories told in the barracks weren't just to scare the newbies? What if there was an actual ghost on Team Ro?_

But when he stood next to Crow, the unofficial youngest ANBU operative in history, he couldn't help but snort at the claims of him being a child prodigy. The crimson-haired agent was by far, unequivocally, the most dangerous person in Konoha—maybe even in the world.

 _But it couldn't be. A ghost? They didn't exist… right?_

It wasn't because Crow possessed flashy, S-ranked ninjutsu that he could throw around like it was child's play. It wasn't because he was ungodly intelligent, or able to concoct unbeatable strategies within seconds. In truth, Crow wasn't particularly skilled at all. When it concerned his shinobi attributes, he was, maybe, at an experienced genin level.

 _But when mission reports were made classified, and explanations for impossible assassinations never came to light, it would make the ANBU of Konoha wonder…_

"It's done," Crow whispered, turning to face Dog. "The target has been eliminated."

"And Kuro?" Dog asked.

"Faded to black," Crow answered.

"Then let's leave this place before they discover the body," Dog ordered, getting a nod from his young teammate.

Before leaving, Hatake Kakashi looked back at the fortress, the silence stinging his ears. There had to be at least three dozen shinobi within, and yet…

And yet, Crow had killed a jōnin without anyone knowing, without making a sound, and without even moving a muscle.

 _Do ghosts exist?_

* * *

 **This is a story in which Naruto is an Ajin, though in this world, he won't be called an Ajin, and he will be the only one. People will conclude that it is some kind of Bloodline Limit, but it's not. Not really.**

 **Special thanks to Dreaming of the Phoenix for all the help.**

 _hyvnn._


	2. Touched by Death

**I may or may not have listened to '** _ **Oh Death'**_ **by Jen Titus the entire time I wrote this chapter…**

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I am Become Death

Chapter I – Touched by Death

* * *

The Uzumaki, a clan of crimson-haired seal-masters from Uzushiogakure. So powerful and absolute was their ability in fūinjutsu, two of the Great Five banded together to annihilate the relatively peaceful people.

Allied with Konohagakure, the Uzumaki were believed to be as dangerous, if not more so, as the revered Senju or Uchiha. Gifted with powerful chakra and equally powerful life forces, the Uzumaki were, and always had been, some of the most terrifying people in all the Elemental Nations.

They were able to completely seal away anything, from beast to man, physical to spiritual, in unbreakable prisons of ink and paper. The "clan that tamed death," they were called, for they were the creators of the most dangerous, and forbidden, fūinjutsu.

The Shiki Fūjin.

To summon the Shinigami was frightening enough in and of itself. But the Uzumaki did not stop there. Indeed, they took it a step further, and completely commanded death, bending it to their will, shaping it like artists shaped clay.

Though such a deadly technique came at a price.

The user's soul. They could take the life of any opponent, no matter how powerful or seemingly invincible, but in the end, the Death God was just as greedy as men, and demanded the soul of its caster, too.

A soul for its appearance, and a soul for its deed. No more, no less.

This was why they were wiped off the face of the planet, why they were burned from history. They had been too dangerous, too threatening. Nations besides their allies feared them like they were agents of death, harbingers of the Destroyer of Worlds. When they still lived, the 'monsters' shinobi told their younglings about weren't made up fairy tales. The monsters they tried to scare their children with were the Uzumaki, the heralds of death.

The clan with blood-soaked hair.

Today, they are nearly extinct. Only a handful, if that, still live. A man who knew pain far too well, a girl whose body would later be covered in bite marks, and a breathtakingly beautiful woman who wished she could spend more time with the baby boy she had just given birth to.

Unfortunately, death cared very little for the wishes of mortals.

Fortunately, the child with hair as yellow as the sun was no ordinary mortal. In fact, momentarily, he would no longer be mortal at all.

Or human. Such is the nature of this story.

* * *

 _Snake, Boar, Ram, Rabbit, Dog, Rat, Bird, Horse, Snake_

"Shiki Fūjin!" the voice of the Lord Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, rang throughout the clearing, his hands coming together like he was praying. And perhaps he was. Praying that he was doing the right thing in making his newborn into a human sacrifice. Praying that he had the strength left to do such a thing. Praying that his wife would forgive him…

"Let's put our trust in this child!" Minato continued. "He's our son, after all. When I'm finished with the Shiki Fū–" The Lord Fourth suddenly stopped, his entire being going cold.

Uzumaki Kushina, after having gone through childbirth _and_ having the kyūbi ripped out of her forcefully, was far too weak to even stand. The red-headed woman could only stare up at her husband from the ground, using what little strength she had left to hold down the mightiest of the bijū.

"M-Minato?" she tried, her voice weak. Even as dazed as she was, she could clearly notice how sickly white the man she loved suddenly turned. Right before her eyes, his blond hair was fading to white, his eyes darkening considerably.

It was only when his skin turned purple did she realize what was happening. And when she did, she froze.

'Minato' was still, standing over his wife and son with a cold steel within his now blackened eyes.

"You know who I am, Blood of my Blood," 'Minato' suddenly stated, his voice now too deep and grave to belong to the warm-hearted Hokage.

All exhaustion suddenly rushed to the background of Kushina's mind. Her legs, which she hadn't been able to feel only seconds ago, now shook with both fear and awe.

She managed to nod, or jerk, in her case, staying silent.

"My blood has no reason to fear me, child," 'Minato' began, turning to look at the bijū that glared at them. "Ah. So, one of that man's children seems to be making a mess of things again." The 'Yellow Flash' then reached out and made a grasping motion. At first, nothing seemed to happen, until, abruptly, the Kyūbi no Kitsune vanished.

Kushina's eyes widened, her shock as clear as day. She was going to ask what had happened, demand to know what the hell was going on, before she noticed the little red orb sitting innocently in Minato's palm.

"These siblings always make such a big fuss," the now white-haired man started, staring at the red orb grasped in his hand. "Though, I suppose I can't really blame them. Humanity can be so very cruel to the unknown."

"W-What did you do to my husband?" Kushina suddenly asked, gaining the bravery to speak from somewhere, somehow.

'Minato' blinked, almost child-like. "I've merely decided to converse through this man, Blood of my Blood. It is easier this way."

Kushina took a moment to choose her words carefully. "What… what do you want?" she asked cautiously. She still wasn't sure how to handle this kind of situation. After all, she had only been a girl when it was all explained to her.

"Wicked Tongues and men who would be gods scheme in the shadows. They would breathe life into the Destroyer again, even after it took your god and another to defeat it last time," 'Minato' said, his voice not his own—not human. "The time the old prophet spoke of is upon us, and I do not wish to leave this planet's future in the hands of a child." He seemed… angry. "I will be the one to reap this world when the time comes, not _her_."

Kushina tried to understand, she truly did, but she couldn't. She heard the words, but they made no sense to her.

'Minato' smiled, and even though it was meant to be a gentle thing, it brought shivers down Kushina's spine. This was not her husband…

"Worry naught, Blood of my Blood. Your child is of the prophecy, and I shall bestow upon him the gift of my touch," 'Minato' continued, idly fiddling with the red orb in his hands. "I have already intervened far too much. One last gift, and I shall take my leave."

"A-And Minato!?" Kushina blurted out, her fear in the answer to the question she already knew.

'Minato' looked at her with something akin to pity.

"This one spoke my name—called me to this place. His soul is mine." The words cut the crimson-haired woman deep. "His sacrifice wasn't for naught. Through him, it has enabled me to insure the White Rabbit will never return. Embrace that, Blood of my Blood."

And with that, 'Minato' laid his purple hand upon Uzumaki Naruto, saying words not spoken for centuries.

"Touched by Death, ye entered this world. Touched by Death, ye shall never be again." The world seemed to lose all its warmth for a single moment. "Dele omnia mala, ut illa quae bona sint floreant. Et omnes angeli caeli te custodient."

Naruto, her innocent little boy, barely thirty minutes old, suddenly went quiet, his wails for attention stopping like the heart of someone who had taken their last breath. Before Kushina's very eyes, beautiful blond hair and gorgeous blue eyes bled crimson.

Her child had been touched by Death.

The body that once was her husband split the red orb in his hands in half, letting what Kushina could only think was a part of the Kyūbi enter her child. Black ink spread over his little tummy, forming into symbols unique to the Uzumaki.

A cage for a beast.

Then 'Minato' turned to her, and in that moment, she knew her fate. Kushina bowed her head, ready to serve the blood of her blood.

A single hand pressed into her stomach, and a flood of warmth washed over her. She felt the malice before she felt the chakra.

She was once again a human sacrifice.

Kushina looked over at her son, at Naruto.

She no longer bore her burden alone…

"Teach him the ways of old," 'Minato' spoke, his voice sounding more and more like her husband's. "And remember," Minato's eyes were once again blue, "Death walks among you now, Blood of my Blood."

Purple skin faded, tan flesh returning. His hair stayed white, however.

The Lord Fourth Hokage fell to the ground. When the Lord Third Hokage arrived, it was to a weeping widow, embracing her dead husband and a child whose fate was far too large for anyone to see.

That day, on October 10, Namikaze Minato died a hero of Konohagakure no Sato.

* * *

 **The Latin means "Destroy all that which is evil, so that which is good may flourish. And you shall have the protection of all the angels in heaven." It's a nod to** _ **The Boondock Saints**_ **, one of my favorite movies of all time. There will be a few influences from that movie sprinkled in this story.**

 **Special thanks to Dreaming of the Phoenix for all the help.**

 _hyvnn._


	3. How to Make Friends

**Just a bit of editing done to this chapter. Nothing major.**

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I am Become Death

Chapter II – How to Make Friends

* * *

Normally, when a person tries to kill you, your response is usually a negative one. _Usually_.

For a crimson-haired boy named Uzumaki Naruto, his response was to try and make friends with his would-be killer.

"My name's Naruto. What's yours?" the nine year old Uzumaki asked, curiosity in his deep red eyes.

For Sai, it was like looking a ghost in the face. Usually, that wouldn't frighten him so bad. Ghosts didn't exist—not really. They were stories meant to scare the foolish. A farce. But now…

Now, Sai was looking the slightly younger boy he had just killed in the face, his target seemingly alive and unharmed. It was impossible.

"S-Sai…" he answered, though that wasn't really the truth. The name 'Sai' was given to him only weeks ago. Before that, he didn't have a name. He was simply a number; 012420.

"Sai-san," Naruto parroted, trying the name out for himself. "Nice to meet you."

Sai just blinked, unsure how to respond, or even if he should.

"So," the crimson-haired boy began suddenly, "why did you kill me?"

Saying Sai was taken aback would be an understatement. He had, as a member of Root, undertaken extensive training to tame his emotions, to suppress his personality and desires. But, in front of this person, this impossibly strange and, frankly scary, person, he couldn't help but be confused and circumspect.

Was he going to die, even after Shin's sacrifice? Didn't he have to live for the both of them?

"Oh!" Naruto continued. "Are you an apostle, too?" he asked.

Again, Sai just blinked. "An apostle?"

"Hmm. Guess not." He looked disappointed. "Kaa-san did say I was the only one. Oh well." Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto waved, turning as if to walk away. "See ya."

And just like that, the ghost walked away, leaving a thoroughly confused, failed assassin, alone.

Sai could do nothing but simply blink. Again.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was a mystery that fascinated Sai.

Why couldn't he die? Or, better yet, why wouldn't he stay dead? Since that first meeting, when Sai had failed his very first solo mission—a mission to assassinate the son of the Lord Fourth Hokage, Sai had tried, and ultimately failed, to kill him.

No. Killing him was relatively easy. His Chōjū Giga was especially suited for assassination. That's why Lord Danzō had assigned this mission to him. Even for his age, he was gifted when it came to shinobi skills, most prominently taking the lives of others with stealth and precision.

The hard part, and what made Uzumaki Naruto so fascinating, was the fact that he just wouldn't _stay_ dead.

Five times. Sai had killed Uzumaki Naruto five times in the past two months. And each time, Uzumaki Naruto got right back up, as if nothing had even transpired, unfazed and unaffected. And he never got angry with Sai.

In fact, Sai was almost positive that the kid was having _fun_. How someone enjoyed dying, over and over again, was beyond his ability to comprehend.

Next time, however, would be different.

* * *

Waiting for the target to separate from his mother was half the battle. Uzumaki Kushina was a very skilled kunoichi. Lord Danzō had warned him against attempting anything whilst in her presence. She was the wife of the Lord Fourth Hokage, and a jinchūriki to boot, not to mention her Uzumaki heritage. If anyone, he was to avoid that woman at all cost.

To do that, Sai had to study their patterns. Where they went, when they went, and how many times they went there.

Basically, the Hokage's Tower, the small ramen stand run by a father and daughter, their home near the Yamanaka Flower Shop, the training grounds they usually reserved on the weekends, and the rundown old shrine that sat just outside the village.

That didn't leave Sai with much time to try his next assassination attempt. And the fact that, at seemingly random times, the target would simply disappear wasn't helping any. He wasn't with his mother, or the Hokage, or anywhere. He'd simply vanish, seemingly leaving the village, if Sai had to guess, and wouldn't reappear for a few days, each time differing.

If he didn't know any better, it was almost as if the nine year old was going away on missions.

But that wasn't possible. Sai had killed the boy multiple times. Uzumaki barely had any shinobi skills at all. If it wasn't for his inability to stay dead, Sai would have classified him as an everyday academy student. Though, oddly enough, the boy never attended the shinobi academy.

Regardless, today would be the day he really killed Uzumaki Naruto. Today was the day he accomplished the mission given to him by Lord Danzō, and prove that he wasn't worthless. After all, Lord Danzō had no use for tools that didn't work.

It was quite simple, actually, once his mother wasn't around. The crimson-haired boy liked to explore, liked to take walks near Training Ground 44, of all places. He'd never go inside the infamous Forest of Death, but he did come close a few times.

Sai could create special explosive tags with his Chōjū Giga, explosive tags that worked just like any other. And as the red-headed ghost walked straight into his trap, Sai simply had to activate said tags that had been previously placed on the large boulders above the path the boy walked for his plan to come to fruition.

A one-handed hand-seal later—the domino effect.

The unsuspecting ghost suddenly stopped, the sound of earth exploding surprising him.

Large chunks of boulders falling from above, racing down the hillside to bring death to anything in its path.

Earth meeting tender flesh, the sound of bone crushing, skin tearing.

And then, there was nothing but silence. Silence, and no movement whatsoever.

Uzumaki Naruto was dead. Sai's mission was finally complete.

Dropping from the tree he was stationed in, Sai approached the wreckage of earth and stone and…

Blood. It was done. He had done it. Why did he feel… disappointed, then?

"Oh?" a voice from behind him suddenly said, startling him. He turned, nearly snapping his neck with the speed in which he faced the newcomer. "He really is quite good, isn't he?"

"Sure is." Another voice appeared.

 _Newcomers_.

"We didn't believe Crow when he started talking about a boy with a real nasty talent for wet work." Yet another new voice. "Guess we were wrong."

By the time he realized it, it was too late. Sai was already surrounded by ANBU, three of them in fact. And they didn't look like Lord Danzō's men.

Tensing, Sai was ready to try and flee, and if that failed, like he expected it to, he was ready to take his own life. Such was the Foundation's policy.

Never let the enemy take you alive.

That these were fellow Konoha-nin mattered little. They were the enemy all the same.

But before he could move, before he could end the life given to him by someone he cared for like a brother, he heard the laughter of a ghost.

"I told you he was good."

Slowly, as if he would die a horrible death if he moved too fast, Sai turned, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It was impossible. It couldn't be. Ghosts didn't exist…

Right?

And yet, when Sai turned around, sure enough, he came face to face with a ghost.

"But… how…?" Sai managed to whisper, his blood running cold.

Uzumaki Naruto smiled at the boy who tried to kill him, again, his clothes soaked in crimson, in blood.

"Hey, Sai-san," the ghost started. Sai tensed again, unsure of what was going to happen to him. "Let's be friends, 'kay?" the ghost asked, holding out his hand, as if he wanted to shake the hand of his killer.

Sai blinked, like he often did when Uzumaki Naruto was around, and replied the absolute best he could.

"Eh?"

* * *

Everything happened so fast.

First, he had, apparently, made friends with a ghost. How that happened, he would never truly understand. But the fact still remained. Uzumaki Naruto wanted to be his friend.

Then he was moving. The dog-masked ANBU had patted him on the shoulder, giving him a thumbs-up, before he was being led to some unknown place, the two other ANBU operatives and the ghost at their side.

Before long, they arrived at their destination. The Hokage Tower.

Sai would have been scared if he wasn't so numb. What was going on? Why weren't the ANBU being rougher with him? Why were they taking him to the Hokage's office? And most importantly, why was Uzumaki Naruto still breathing?

In the blink of an eye, it seemed, he was standing before the most powerful shinobi alive, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Lord Third Hokage.

The God of Shinobi.

Words were exchanged, explanations given. Sai tuned it out, though. He couldn't take his eyes off the ghost that stood beside him. A ghost that simply stayed silent, listening to the ANBU speak with the Hokage.

And then, all eyes were on him.

"Sai-kun, was it?" the voice of the Lord Third asked. Sai turned to face the only man Lord Danzō taught the Foundation to fear, staying silent. "You've been very busy lately, haven't you?" Sai saw the man's eyes roam over to the ghost, a knowing look within those deep brown orbs. "Naruto-kun says you're rather skilled at killing him."

Sai looked away, stepping back nervously. It looked like he had been physically struck.

Sarutobi smiled.

"Are you sure you can handle him, Kakashi? He'd be your responsibility," he said, his eyes falling on the dog-masked ANBU.

Said operative turned to face Sai, his expression hidden behind porcelain.

"I've taken in Danzō's Foundation members before," Kakashi replied, giving a sidelong glance at the agent to his side. "One more shouldn't be too much of a hassle."

The agent Kakashi had glanced at chuckled. "Lord Danzō won't just give up one of his own so easily, you know. He's a stubborn one."

"Leave my old friend to me," Sarutobi stated, smirking. "In the meantime," he placed his pipe in his mouth and turned around, facing the large, panoramic window behind him, "get the boy a proper uniform. I'm leaving his training to you, Kakashi."

"Yes, sir," Kakashi replied. "C'mon kid, I'll introduce you to the rest of the team."

'Uniform?' 'Training?' 'Rest of the team?' Sai didn't understand what was going on. And he said as much.

Why weren't they throwing him in a cell and losing the key?

"Don't you get it?" It was the ghost who spoke, a smirk on his face. "You're one of us now."

Sai narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Us?" he asked.

The cat-faced ANBU, the only female present, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to Team Ro, kid. We expect great things from the person Crow personally vouched for."

Sai was still confused.

The ghost laughed.

"I'm Crow," he said, placing a black porcelain mask with a white crow design painted on its surface to his face. "I'm a member of Team Ro, too." Naruto developed a serious expression. "But that's top secret, understand? Very classified stuff." Then he smiled, the seriousness in his tone vanishing with it.

"You want me to…" Sai started, just to clarify. "… join Team Ro?" Receiving a nod from the crimson-haired boy, he continued. "Why? I tried to kill you, remember?" Nothing about this made sense.

"That's why we want you on our team." It was the third ANBU operative, the one that Kakashi had looked at, that spoke. "We take on… special kinds of missions that your particular set of skills are perfectly suited for."

Cat, the purple-haired woman, snorted. "That's one way to put it."

The ghost made a peace sign, smiling.

"We're heralds."

"Heralds?" Sai asked, still very confused. "Heralds of what?"

The smile the ghost gave him made him very uncomfortable.

"Death."

Again, Cat snorted. "That's another way, I guess."

Sai chose to ignore that. How did they expect him to respond to… _that_? Instead, he asked another question.

"Why me? I tried to kill one of your teammates."

"Mah, mah," Kakashi waved off. "We've all killed Crow plenty of times, too. Don't sweat it."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't sweat it," the ghost in question repeated, equally as dismissive.

Was he an idiot, Sai wondered?

"As for why…" Kakashi continued. "Like we said, your skillset matches ours. We've been watching you. Every time you've killed Crow, we were there, watching, evaluating. You're good, kid. Real good. With a little more training, you might even be great." He pointed to Crow. "That kid's really good, too. Even better than us at the job. We think, together, you two might be the best."

"I still don't understand what the 'job' is," Sai stated, still unsure.

"Search and destroy, mostly," Kakashi admitted. "We're the go-to team for both tracking and assassination."

They were right, he did meet the requirements for the job...

"I'm a part of the Foundation. Lord Danzō won't simply allow—"

"Like I said, I'll handle Danzō," the Hokage interrupted. "He'll approve of the transfer. You have my word."

"If you agree, I'll tell you my secret," Naruto said, smirking at Sai's response. "You're just _dying_ to know, aren't you?"

Sai sighed. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. If he understood correctly, Naruto, who was also an ANBU agent codenamed Crow, was the one who requested he join Team Ro. But for the life of him, Sai couldn't understand why.

Why would he want to have the person that was tasked with killing him on his team?

"Because we're friends, aren't we?"

Friends…? Sai didn't have any friends. Not since…

They weren't allowed to have friends in the Foundation. Relationships of any kind were a weakness. And weakness was the downfall of men.

The ghost just stared at him, still smiling.

Friends…

Maybe… Just maybe…

Sai tried to return the smile, but he was hyper aware of just how fake it was. But it seemed to be enough for the ghost who refused to stay dead.

"Yeah… Friends…"

And that's how Uzumaki Naruto made friends.

* * *

 **I purposefully made Sai two years older than Naruto. I didn't think a nine year old Sai would have the skills required for this chapter, so I made him a bit older. It won't change anything.**

 **Also, it wasn't Sai's skill in killing someone that got the attention of Team Ro, but his ability to kill someone and get away with it. His ink techniques leave no trace. That's what I was referring to.**

 **Special thanks to Dreaming of the Phoenix for all the help.**

 _hyvnn._


	4. A Ghost in the Grass

**I changed Team Ro's roster up. Now, there aren't any OC's at all. Also, Ko and Jirō, two members of Team Ro in the flashback, aren't current members. They've left the team, for reasons unknown. Disregard them.**

* * *

I am Become Death

Chapter III – A Ghost in the Grass

* * *

Dog and Sparrow approached the small shrine with the comfort of familiarity. Just outside the village walls and nestled within the deep forest that surrounded Konohagakure, the Uzumaki Shrine was a peaceful little place.

Dog had seen this place before Kushina-san had it repaired eight years ago. It was rundown and definitely not functional. But then Naruto was born, and his mother had made it her top priority, after a couple years of simply enjoying time with her son, to fix the shrine to her people.

What Dog, or anyone for that matter, didn't know was that, beneath this shrine, not only was something ancient stored, but something very new to the world was in the process of being created. Something forged from material not of this world. Something as black as the space between stars, and usually unseen to the human eye.

Sparrow had never been within the shrine, and in all honesty he wasn't very fond of the idea of ever entering. Every time he came close to this place, he felt it… Something watching him. They were not alone in this place.

Dog whistled, announcing their presence, and the two ANBU operatives waited just outside the shrine.

Not a minute later, a woman with crimson hair stepped out, smiling when she noticed who it was who interrupted them.

"Kakashi-kun? Sai-kun? What are you doing here? It's Sunday," Uzumaki Kushina asked, fully exiting the shrine.

"Lord Hokage sent us. We have a mission," Kakashi explained, taking off his mask.

Kushina sighed. "I guess it can't be helped," she said. "Naruto-chan! You have visitors!" she yelled into the shrine. Looking back at the two ANBU, she continued. "So, where to this time?" she asked.

"You know I can't tell you that, Kushina-san," Kakashi replied, giving her a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved off, irritated. "Top secret ANBU business. What's new?"

Kakashi chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. Sparrow just stood there, intelligently staying out of the conversation. Crow's mother was the only person scarier than Crow himself.

"Visitors?" Naruto walked out of the shrine. "But it's Sunday," he said, confused. Then he noticed Kakashi and Sai, both in full ANBU gear. "Oh, it's just you two. Another mission, then?" he asked, knowingly.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "The three of us and Cat. We'll meet her at the Hokage Tower, though."

Naruto looked to his mother, questioningly. Without words, the two seemed to have a conversation with just their eyes. And then, Kushina nodded, giving her son a small smile.

"Go," she said. "I'll finish up here."

Naruto returned the smile. "Yes, kaa-chan."

"When do you think you'll return?" Kushina asked before the three boys could vanish into the trees.

"A week," Kakashi replied. "Two at the most." He shouldn't have said that. Everything about ANBU missions were top classified. But Uzumaki Kushina was a special exception.

Kushina nodded. "Be safe."

Kakashi placed his dog-styled mask back on his face, nodding alongside his two comrades. And then, Kushina was alone.

* * *

Team Ro was the personal ANBU unit of the Hokage, used freely as he saw fit. Normally, ANBU took on missions relating to assassinations or required special tactics to see the mission complete.

Usually, the ANBU Black Ops were given orders by the ANBU-Commander, codenamed Monkey. He worked alongside the Hokage, the Second-in-Command, and, at times, the Jonin-Commander, though the latter was due to his superiority when it came to devising strategy.

Team Ro, on the other hand, bypassed the ANBU-Commander entirely, receiving their orders from the Hokage directly. They didn't only receive assassination missions, either. Anything, from acting as the Hokage's personal bodyguards, to completing missions regularly given to the operations division (shinobi not belonging to the ANBU, Medical Corps, or Torture and Intelligence).

The Second-in-Command, Shimura Danzō, aided in running the ANBU at times, and ran a subgroup of ANBU called Root, operatives trained and conditioned in ways some people would believe were inhumane. Or they would, if they knew of the existence of such a group. As it was, Root, or better known as the Foundation, was a top secret organization that only the highest echelons of Konoha's governing body knew about, and even they didn't know everything about the darkness of the village.

Made up of seven operatives, Team Ro was one of the smallest ANBU squads. The captain, Dog, was a highly skilled shinobi whose record was unquestionable. The team's lieutenant, Kinoe, was a powerful shinobi with… unique talents.

The remaining members of Team Ro; Crow, Sparrow, Cat, Snake, and Soku, were all highly skilled ninja as well, each handpicked by the Lord Hokage himself.

Team Ro was considered the elite of the elite, a team all the other operatives strived to be a part of.

And right now, members of that team were assembled within the Hokage's office, though it wasn't the Hokage that was giving them their orders this time.

"The higher-ups of Kusagakure no Sato have requested… assistance with cleaning house." Instead, they were assembled before Shimura Danzō, the Second-in-Command of Konoha.

"Officially, you're tasked with helping guard the undergoing construction of the Kannabi Bridge," Danzō continued. "It was destroyed by Konoha in the last war. They're just getting around to repairing it, and we promised to take responsibility."

Crow, Dog, Sparrow and Cat stood in the office of their leader, listening to his Second as he explained their next mission. It wasn't unheard of for Lord Danzō to give them missions in the Hokage's stead. Every mission the Hokage issued was considered official, and had to be recorded. Danzō, however, did not have to report every mission he ordered. In fact, he rarely ever did.

"There's been a resurgence of a certain clan from Mizu no Kuni that has illegally settled in the lands under Kusa's protection," Danzō started. "Usually, this would be an internal issue for them to handle themselves, but they've paid a considerable sum for our aid."

"Which clan from Mizu is it, sir?" Dog asked.

"The Kaguya," Danzō stated. "They're a savage clan of bloodthirsty murderers. They are partly responsible for the Bloodline Purges in Mizu. And they've just moved into Kusagakure's backyard," he explained. "Already, they've declared open conflict with Kusa, and have continuously ambushed their shinobi, causing mass casualties."

"Our orders, sir?" Cat asked, wanting clarification.

"You'll rendezvous with Kusagakure ANBU at Kannabi Bridge. From there, you'll cooperate with them and suppress the threat."

"Total annihilation, sir?" Dog asked.

"Correct," Danzō replied easily. "This is a critical mission for strengthening our ties with the Grass. They'll owe us a debt that will surely benefit Konoha in some way."

So it was _that_ kind of mission. Danzō never did anything unless he—or the village—was gaining the upper hand on someone in some way.

The man didn't know what altruism meant. The word wasn't even in his vocabulary.

The aged man's single uncovered eye opened, falling on Crow.

"Crow, I'd like to discuss something with you in private. The rest of you are dismissed."

Cat, Sparrow and Dog bowed, each secretly looking at Crow as they left the room. Once they were gone, the darkness of Konoha conspired with a ghost.

* * *

Cat, like the rest of Team Ro, didn't quite understand the youngest member of the team.

If she had to describe him in a single word, she'd choose 'mystery'. Who he was or where he came from wasn't the mystery. Everyone in Team Ro knew that he was Uzumaki Naruto, son of Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato, the Lord Fourth Hokage. That little fact actually was the least interesting thing about the crow-masked boy, though.

She didn't know how it was even possible—or if it even _was_. All Cat could go by was what she saw with her own two eyes. And ever since the red-headed boy joined their squad three years ago, Cat had seen someone die, multiple times, and simply _walk it off_.

She still remembered how absolutely shocked she was when he was first introduced to Team Ro. It was something she would never forget.

As Team Ro made their way to Kusagakure no Sato, a cat remembered the first time she met a ghost.

* * *

 _Gathered in Training Ground 3, Hatake Kakashi introduced the newest member of the team…_

 _A seven year old…_

" _Everyone, this is Naruto. He'll be attached to Team Ro as of today," Kakashi explained, introducing the person who was going to replace Boar, an operative that transferred to another team._

" _Oh…" Ko, codenamed Spider, started. "Isn't he… a little young…?" he asked from his position next to one of the many trees surrounding them._

" _Mah, mah," Kakashi waved him off. "Have you already forgotten Itachi?" he asked. "Didn't you think he was too young when he first joined, too? Now look at him. Only thirteen and he's already made it to captain rank."_

 _No one could forget Uchiha Itachi, the famous prodigy. Codenamed Weasel, Itachi already led his own team as its captain after only a year and a half in the Black Ops. He was all but a living legend among the ANBU._

" _Of course we haven't, captain," Jirō, codenamed Bear, said. "But… at least Weasel was already a chūnin. Has this kid even graduated from the academy yet?"_

 _Yūgao stayed silent, though she agreed with what Bear was saying. The boy didn't look like he was at all capable of running with this team, or any team, for that matter._

" _Nope," Kakashi responded easily. "He hasn't attended a single day of the academy. He isn't even a genin."_

 _Yūgao couldn't hold her tongue anymore._

" _He isn't even a genin?" she asked, baffled. "What's Hokage-sama thinking, placing an untrained child in the ANBU?" She couldn't believe it._

" _Are you doubting the Lord Hokage's decisions, Yūgao-san?" Kakashi asked pointedly._

 _Uzuki Yūgao shrank back. "No… but I…"_

" _Obviously, Lord Hokage didn't place a civilian on our team without reason," Kakashi explained. "Just like Itachi, this boy is special."_

" _How special?" Namiashi Raidō, codenamed Snake, asked._

 _Kakashi eye-smiled. "I gave the newbie a task to prove himself to you. He received a black marker before we arrived. I told him to, secretly, mark each of you as many times as he could while I introduced him. A single mark on the back of your flaks for each time he could have killed you."_

 _Yūgao joined her teammates in looking very confused._

 _Kakashi continued. "Take off your flaks, ladies and gentlemen. And each black mark you have on you is the amount of times the newbie could have ended your lives forever." The way in which the Copy-nin said these words made chills run down Yūgao's back._

 _After a moment of looking both confused and skeptical, all the members of Team Ro, including Kakashi and Tenzō, removed their grey flaks._

 _Yūgao's eyes widened. Twelve black marks, done with what seemed to be a regular marker, now marred her flak jacket. She looked up at the boy ten years younger than she, eyes wide and mouth dry. How did he mark her without her even knowing?_

 _Did he do it before the meeting? Surely he had to have, because Yūgao was a sensor-type. There was no way he could have gotten behind her, never mind mark her, without her noticing._

 _But… Kakashi had said it was done while they were being introduced to…_

 _What was this kid?_

" _There's no way." Jirō shook his head, holding up his flak jacket that now had thirteen marks across it. "There's no way this kid is_ that _good."_

 _Kakashi gave another eye smile, holding up his own flak. "Oh, but he is," he said as everyone counted the ten black markings across their captain's vest._

" _Well damn," Tenzō said, gaining their attention. He was holding up his flak as well. "The kid really is good, isn't he?" he chuckled, not at all indignant that he had eleven black marks across his jacket._

 _Team Ro fell silent, staring at the smiling seven year old with slight wariness. No one was_ that _good. No way could a child do that. Not even Uchiha Itachi could have pulled that off._

 _Yūgao doubted that Kakashi-taichō could have._

" _Oh, and there's one other thing," Kakashi stated, unsheathing his tantō._

 _And then he surprised everyone when he drove the blade into the boy's chest, piercing his heart through and through. A confirmed kill._

 _Their captain had just killed a child._

 _No one moved. No one breathed. As the crimson-haired boy's' blood dripped from Hatake Kakashi's sword, the members of Team Ro simply stood, frozen in disbelief._

 _And if that wasn't shocking enough, something else happened, something impossible, something no one from Team Ro would ever forget any time soon._

" _That wasn't very nice, Kakashi-taichō. You could've at least warned me first."_

 _That day, they met a ghost._

" _He's immortal," their captain said, his voice far too lax for the situation._

* * *

To this day, that first meeting with Crow still baffled her. Up until that point, Cat lived in a world where everything died if you poked it with something sharp enough times. Of course, they lived in a world with shinobi that could probably destroy entire villages if they wanted, but even then, if you poked them enough times with something really, really sharp, they'd die just the same.

More effort, perhaps, but the outcome was still death.

But then a boy named Naruto walked into her life, his crimson eyes matching his hair, and changed… everything.

No one, except possibly Kakashi, knew _how_ Crow was "immortal," just that he _was_. Immortal, and able to kill anyone he wanted without even being in the same room with them. Hell, Cat herself had seen him kill a jōnin once without even moving.

One moment, their target was alive and well, unsuspecting and unaware that they were just outside his apartment. And then, Dog-taichō gave him a nod, and that was it. A single, gargled groan, and there was a gaping hole in the target. Just like that, Crow had killed an elite shinobi.

It used to scare her.

Who wouldn't be scared? A seven year old was capable of killing anyone he wanted without moving, without anyone knowing, and without even breaking a sweat. And not only that, but he couldn't be killed. Well, he could 'die', technically, but he'd just come right back only seconds later, whatever wound he received completely healed.

They called it post-mortem regeneration.

But after working with him for three years, Cat was used to Crow. Her fear had come from her not truly knowing him. People in general feared what they didn't understand, and Cat was no different. She didn't understand Uzumaki Naruto.

But now, she knew him quite well. He was a little… different, than most kids, but that could be said about anyone who was placed in the ANBU Black Ops at such a young age. He wasn't some blood-thirsty psychopath, either. In fact, it was actually calming to be around him.

Cat had a… friendship would be a little strange to describe the relationship between a ten year old and his twenty year old teammate, but that's what they were. Friends. Or at least friendly.

Crow joined her many a time while on missions to simply gaze at the moon, her favorite pastime. There was something about watching its beauty with another, and he was the only person who ever would.

She wasn't ashamed to admit it. Cat enjoyed spending time with her young comrade. He wasn't big on talking, either. He didn't pry into her life, didn't ask her to play with him, like most kids would have. He simply shared her admiration for the moon.

He still confused her, though.

What was he? How could he do the things he does?

As the years passed, she found herself wanting to know more and more. Though, she'd probably never ask him right out. She didn't want to pry into his life when he didn't pry into hers. He was just a kid with very, very special abilities. And, most importantly, he was on their side. She didn't even want to think what it would be like to have him as her enemy.

How would you even go about killing a ghost?

* * *

It took them four days to get there, but they finally arrived at the Kannabi Bridge, or rather, the reconstruction of the Kannabi Bridge.

Unsurprisingly, the Kusa ANBU were already there when they arrived.

"So they sent the infamous Copy-nin to help us, did they?" one of the Kusa ANBU said. He was huge, taller than even Dog, who was tall in his own right. He wore the normal Kusa ANBU attire; exactly the same as Konoha's, except instead of grey, their flaks were black.

Dog didn't respond.

"Straight to business, then. I can respect that," the same man said, signaling for Team Ro to follow. "My teammates will watch the bridge. Come with me so we can devise a plan." He stopped, looking at Dog. "Is it just the two of you?" he asked, looking between Dog and Cat.

Again, Dog didn't reply.

"The silent type, are we?" The man chuckled. "Whatever. Just follow me. I'll take you to our base of operations for this mission."

Dog nodded.

The man gave them a look from behind his mask, but didn't say anything more. He simply led them to the base a few kilometers north.

Towards the Northern Tower.

The man who spoke to them, nor the other two Kusa ANBU, realized the larger than normal hawk made only of ink and chakra that hovered over them, watching and waiting for orders.

And no one, not even Dog or Cat, noticed the being made of pure darkness that walked beside them.

They didn't realize that a ghost walked among them.

* * *

 **I know that these chapters are rather short, but I like that about them. Trying to stuff a chapter with 7,000 words plus, in my opinion, makes the chapter dull. Short and to the point is my new motto! More dramatic that way.**

 **By the way, in case you were wondering, Naruto is ten years old in this chapter. He was nine in the last, and was just born in chapter one. Not sure how old he was in the prologue, though. I'll have to wait, since I might have an idea how to tie that into a future chapter. Sorry for the confusion.**

 _hyvnn._

 **Ladies, Gentlemen, Otaku's of all ages and genders! Please remember that these fics are done purely for enjoyment, and flames will be used to heat my apartment this coming winter!**

Dreaming of the Phoenix


	5. Cry Havoc

**Shamelessly using a line from X-Men: Apocalypse. Oh well.**

* * *

I am Become Death

Chapter IV – Cry Havoc

* * *

Dog never liked working with the ANBU from other villages. In the first place, shinobi in general were underhanded. It was the key to success to be either more intelligent or deceiving than your opponent. And if you wanted to live as long as the Sannin, or the Lord Third Hokage, then you had to be both.

ANBU took it a step further. The code was law, and law was secrecy. Secrecy, and a burning desire to safeguard your home.

It was that very desire that made Dog untrustworthy towards other ANBU.

Shinobi were capable of committing horrible atrocities in the name of peace, prosperity, and nation. Dog had witnessed it firsthand, when his peace-loving, caring sensei slaughtered dozens for the safety of his nation. He had experienced it every time his lightning-encased fist pierced an enemy's heart.

The shinobi life was a bloody life, one full of heartache and murder in the name of patriotism.

The ANBU life was much, much worse.

Shinobi had certain rules to follow, certain actions that just couldn't be taken. At the end of the day, shinobi went back to their homes, their families, their lives. In the ANBU Black Ops, the ANBU was your home, the ANBU was your family, and the ANBU was your life.

And there was no such thing as "too far." If you were ordered to kill an entire village, men, women and children alike, you simply became the weapon your nation required you to be. You would march to the enemy, your souls and hearts and consciousness' left behind, and you would carry out the mission given to you.

It was all for the betterment of the village.

It could drive a person insane. It usually did.

And right now, Dog and Cat were in a room, in a foreign nation, with four of the people he didn't trust. Four Kusa ANBU.

The man who met them at the bridge had led them to this base of operations, an unsuspecting building deep within the lush forest. Dog hadn't been here since… For a very long time. But it seemed this place still had beautiful forests, even compared to Konoha's standards.

The building itself wasn't much. It was made of wood and had no windows. On the inside, it was dimly lit, with half working lights littering the ceiling, blinking off and on as they were led to someplace deep within.

Cat kept close to him, her senses sharp, ready just in case these other ANBU thought it was a good idea to take out a high profile shinobi like Dog. Even with his ANBU mask on, everyone recognized Hatake Kakashi, the famous—or infamous, depending on where you're from—Copy-nin. A man said to have learned a thousand jutsu.

Cat didn't trust ANBU from other villages, either.

They came to, finally, a room that seemed to be a couple stories underneath the building they had entered. There was a single Kusa-nin, not an ANBU, if his attire was anything to go by, guarding the door. The ANBU who met them at the bridge gestured for him to open the door, and the Kusa-nin nodded, knocking on the metal door five times to a rhythm only he knew.

Five seconds passed by, and then the door opened, and yet another Kusa ANBU greeted them, this time, a young woman with white hair.

"Greetings, Konoha ANBU. We've been waiting for you." She was younger than Dog and Cat, for sure, but much older than both Crow and Sparrow. Her skin (what Dog could see of it) was fair and her hair was whiter than Dog's by a large degree. "Come in."

Dog nodded, following the woman into the room, Cat just behind him.

Once inside, Dog decided to finally speak.

"I take it you're in charge here?" he asked the woman. There were two other ANBU among them, making four Kusa operatives in total, counting the one that met them at the bridge. But taking body language into account, then this young woman was definitely the captain of the squad.

The white-haired woman nodded. "You'd be correct. You can call me Ivy-1," she introduced herself. "You've already met Ivy-2," she said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at the operative that had led them here. "That over there is Ivy-3," she said, pointing to the blonde-haired woman sitting at a desk behind security monitors, "and that's Ivy-4," she finished, pointing at the brown-haired man leaning against the far left wall. "We're Team Ivy. We'll be working with you for the entirety of this mission."

Dog nodded. "I'm Dog. That's Cat," he said, pointing at his purple-haired teammate. "We're Team Ro. We'll be in your care."

"Is it just the two of you? I thought you worked in cells of four, just like us?" Ivy-1 asked.

"Just the two of us," he lied easily. He sounded so sincere he almost convinced himself that he was telling the truth. If it weren't for the little mouse made of ink in his pocket, he would have.

"Ah, well," Ivy-1 started. "If it's someone as skilled as you, Dog-san, then it should be enough."

Dog stayed silent.

"Anyway, let's get started. We have the barebones of a plan already. Let me fill you in," Ivy-1 continued, waving them over to the desk without monitors. "I hope you've come prepared. These Kaguya bastards are seriously hard to kill."

As Dog and Cat listened to the young woman explain their plan, Cat couldn't help but wonder how the Kaguya would match up against their resident assassin extraordinaire.

* * *

"Go Fish," Crow said. "You got any twos?"

Above the compound their comrades entered, atop a giant bird made of ink and chakra, two of the most successful assassin's in the world…

Played Go Fish.

"You're cheating…" Sparrow accused, handing over yet another of his cards.

"I'm an ANBU," Crow said. Sparrow could hear the younger boy smiling behind his mask. "How're things going on down there?" he asked, placing Sparrow's two with his own. They had been waiting for a while now, and Crow knew that Sparrow couldn't keep this ink bird up forever.

"No change. They're still going over our role in the plan they created. Something about cutting off a head."

Crow hummed. "I'm probably going to be the one cutting off heads, aren't I?" He already knew the answer.

"Probably."

"Or, or maybe they're gonna cut off _my_ head…" Crow continued, more to himself than to Sparrow.

They were silent for a moment, the two Konoha ANBU simply contemplating what cutting off a head would accomplish in carrying out genocide.

And then, "Got any fours?" Crow asked.

Sparrow narrowed his eyes behind his mask as he handed another one of his cards to the cheater before him.

* * *

The plan was relatively simple, if the Kusa ANBU kept up their end of it.

"It's simple, really," Ivy-1 had explained. "We were told that you're the top wet work team in your village. If that's true, then you shouldn't have any problems with taking out the Kaguya leader."

Dog wondered what this woman thought was difficult, if assassinating an S-ranked shinobi was at all, in any sense, "simple". The fact that they could pull it off wasn't the point. She didn't know that. She didn't know that they had a ten year old on their team—just waiting outside for his orders—that could kill ninja without even interrupting his game of cards.

"The Kaguya depend on their leader. With him out of the picture, we can swoop in and complete the mission during all the confusion," Ivy-1 had continued. "And trust me, you don't want to go up against Kaguya Kohaku head-to-head. You may be good, Dog-san, but that man is a monster."

The name Kaguya Kohaku was very familiar to both Dog and Cat. As ANBU, they were expected to know the Bingo Book entries. Each year, the book was updated, new names added, old ones taken off, and the occasional crossed off names, the names of the ones who were killed or otherwise dead.

Kaguya Kohaku was one such entry. An S-ranked shinobi from Mizu no Kuni, a member of the Kaguya Clan. The man was said to be responsible for more unsanctioned kills, both within and outside of Mizu, than most Kirigakure Hunter-nin had combined. He was a truly powerful ninja, with the desire to shed blood, like so many of his clan was known to crave.

And it was now Team Ro's job to end this man's life. His, and the rest of the Kaguya that had fled the Bloodline Purges.

"Cut off the head of this bone-manipulating beast, and the body will wither away under our blades," Ivy-1 had stated, confident in hers and her men's ability.

Relaying the job description was easy. Dog simply spoke through Sparrow's ink-made mouse, explaining what they were to do. For missions like these, missions that weren't officially sanctioned by the Lord Hokage, it was best if knowledge of participating operatives was kept to a minimum.

The fact that they knew that Dog was Hatake Kakashi was bad enough. They didn't want it getting out that Konoha was deploying children that weren't even genin yet. And no one wanted the other nations to know about Crow. Not yet, at least. An immortal operative who could kill a man without even moving was too tempting. The other nations would go to war for such an operative. Even just to study.

* * *

 _ **Two days later _ Near Kusagakure no Sato _ Kaguya Clan stronghold**_

They waited for the sun to set and the moon to replace it, stars twinkling in the distant heavens, thousands upon thousands.

The cool night breeze was their only companion. The Kusa ANBU had left them to their mission, gone to carry out their own, the second phase of the operation. Once Team Ro gave the signal that they had taken Kaguya Kohaku out of the equation, Team Ivy would swoop in and deliver the killing blow to the rest of the clan, with Team Ro picking off the ones that tried to flee.

And when Dog and Cat met back up with Crow and Sparrow, and Crow gave them a thumbs-up, Dog allowed himself to smile under both his masks. With Crow on their side, missions like these really were too easy.

* * *

Under the twinkling gaze of the stars and streams of moonlight, a ghost made of invisible black matter slipped into the tent of a monster. The ghost made no noise as it crept closer and closer to its next victim, the next soul it would reap for its master.

There was no warning. The ghost didn't wake the slumbering beast underneath it, didn't speak in exaggerated, cryptic puzzles. It didn't let its target know what it was, or why it was reaping him.

It simply reaped.

A hand of invisible darkness tore into flesh, tunneling through internal organs, veins, bone and muscle, coming out the other side of an unsuspecting torso.

There was bloody, shocked gargling. A man's eyes widened, confused and in unbelievable pain. The white-haired man saw nothing, no matter how hard he tried to focus his eyes. There was nothing to see. Ghosts only let those they wished see them.

The man tried to hold on to his ever slipping life, tried to fight what comes for everything eventually. He tried to oppose death.

Such a foolish thing to do.

But then the groaning stopped, and just like everyone else that the Black Ghost had laid its gaze upon, Kaguya Kohaku left this world, reaped.

And then, the ghost faded to black.

* * *

Team Ivy was waiting just outside the Kaguya camp that had caused so many Kusa deaths, waiting to see if this Team Ro really was as good as they were said to be.

Kusagakure wasn't as big as the Five. They were a relatively small village in a nation not known by many. Kusagakure was oftentimes mistakenly referred to the Land in which it dwelt, though that wasn't the case. Kusa wasn't a country, it was a Hidden Village.

Though, they were definitely not defined by their size. In fact, Kusa was one of the greatest shinobi villages in the Elemental Nations, never before having been under another's command. They'd survived all three Shinobi World Wars, and had even, at one point a long, long time ago, ruled the entire world, or so the legends say.

It wasn't due to pure genius and greater shinobi skill, though. Places like Konohagakure and Kumogakure were the ones pumping out monsters like they were breeding geniuses.

No. What made Kusagakure so prestigious in the shinobi world was their superior diplomacy. They were always finding ways to make peace, while also coming to a beneficial agreement with those they did business with.

They were shrewd, to a fault even, and were capable enough to know how to pick their fights. Konohagakure had been a long-standing ally, and made true with their talks of friendship when they kept Iwagakure out of their village during the Third World War.

It was this shrewdness that made Kusagakure wish to see if the legend of Team Ro of Konohagakure no Sato had any truth behind it.

There were whispers, rumors that were only just starting to make it to the ears of their nation. Whispers of a ghost bound to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. A ghost that reaped souls for the Lord Hokage.

Ivy-1 was tasked with discovering whether or not these rumors were true. Whether Team Ro, an ANBU team led by _the_ Copy-nin, Hatake Kakashi, really did have a ghost on it. That's why Ivy-1 appointed such an important part of this mission to the Konoha ANBU. No one could assassinate Kaguya Kohaku by simply sneaking into his tent at night.

The man was a wanted criminal and an S-ranked shinobi from a land drowning in civil war. Kaguya Kohaku was the kind of monster that was barely human. Surely, even Team Ro wouldn't be capable of—

"Captain," Ivy-2 whispered, pointing out something small and dark moving under them.

At further inspection, she realized that it was a rat, though it seemed to be made of…

"Ink?" She blinked behind her mask, confused. When the mouse apparently made of ink melted on the ground, forming a message, that confusion was replaced with disbelief. Or awe, even.

 _Kaguya Kohaku has been neutralized. Proceed with phase two. Dog._

When the ink vanished, Ivy-1 simply stared at where it had been, her mouth agape behind her mask.

"Captain?" Ivy-3 asked, her voice breaking Ivy-1 out of her stupor. She could be in disbelief once the mission was completed. Right now, she had a duty to protect her people, her nation. Her home.

"The Konoha ANBU have completed phase one. Phase two starts now." She looked at her team over her shoulder. "These monsters will never take a Kusa life ever again." There was a deep silence as four ANBU from the Grass thanked their God for what they were about to do. "Scatter."

* * *

"Message received," Sparrow stated to Dog, Team Ro now above the Kaguya camp atop his ink bird. "Team Ivy's commencing phase two now."

Dog nodded, stretching. "Alright, then," he said, looking at each of them. "Be vigilant. We can't let even a single one escape." Cat, Crow and Sparrow nodded. "If no one dies," everyone looked at Crow, "then dinner's on me when we get back."

"Alright!" Crow cheered, pumping his fist. "I want ramen!"

Cat and Sparrow sighed. Of course he wanted ramen. The kid was addicted to the stuff.

Dog just chuckled, taking a kunai out of his holster. "Well then, team, it's time." The four members of Team Ro looked down at the carnage the Kusa ANBU were causing beneath them. To Crow, it looked like there were hundreds of fiery ghosts down there.

"Wreak havoc," he ordered, jumping off the oversized bird, landing on top of an unsuspecting Kaguya, his kunai piercing flesh with experienced ease, killing the man before he even touched the ground.

"You bastard!" another Kaguya member screamed at him from the side, rushing Dog with an overly large sword, murder in his eyes.

He was silenced and stopped by Cat's blade as the purple-haired woman landed atop him, piercing the stranger's heart.

Dog nodded at her before standing, moving on to the next target. In the corner of his eye, Dog saw one of them being mauled by an ink tiger, blood and ink splashing on the grass all around them.

A few seconds later, Dog heard panicked screams behind him. He only spared a second to turn around, seeing two men impaled on… thin air. On nothing.

On a ghost.

Dog turned, ignoring them. Crow was doing what Crow did best. He was reaping.

Two Kaguya clansmen rushed at him, wielding blades sharp enough to cut clean through bone.

 _Ox, Rabbit, Monkey_

Blue-white lightning screamed, coming forth and lighting the dark area. It seemed like thousands of birds were chirping, heralding what Dog had summoned.

"Raikiri," he whispered under his breath, his lightning-encased fist tearing through the first man with contemptuous delight. When he ripped his fist out of the now dead man's torso, there was no blood. The heat of his technique, of the lightning, cauterized the wound almost instantly.

"I'll fucking kill you!" the second man screamed, raising his sword high. Before either Dog or the murderous Kaguya could move, the latter was… _eviscerated_. When he dropped, Dog saw Crow across the battlefield.

Crow saw him too, giving him a peace sign.

Dog knew the kid was smirking under that godforsaken mask of his.

He took a moment to find the rest of his team. Sparrow was to his left and still above, mounted on his ink bird, stealthily taking out the fleeing Kaguya with his Chōjū Giga. To his right, he saw Cat sword fighting another. With his sitrep finished, he turned and faced more of the fleeing clan of murderers.

His Raikiri still screaming in anticipation, Dog sprinted into the enemy, plunging his self-made technique into anything that moved.

That night, they committed sanctioned genocide.

* * *

"So there were more of you."

Streaks of yellow lit the sky—the dawn of a new day. The ground, the entire area, was littered with bodies, blood and bone. The Kaguya Clan was no more.

Team Ro turned to the voice, Dog frowning behind his mask. He really didn't want to reveal Crow and Sparrow.

Dog was silent as Team Ivy appeared in front of them, their uniforms covered in blood as well.

"Relax," Ivy-1 waved. "I'm sure you had your reasons. I'm just glad we managed to pull it off just like we planned." She sighed deeply in content. "I just love it when a plan comes together."

Crow wanted to chuckle behind his mask, for some reason.

"We're done here, then," Dog stated. "The mission's complete."

Ivy-1 nodded. "Sure is. Thanks. You Konoha-nin aren't so bad, you know." She chuckled again, holding out her hand.

Dog looked at it for a moment, before allowing himself to smirk. He took her hand and shook it.

"You Kusa-nin aren't so bad yourselves," he said. "You did a good job, at both devising and carrying out that plan. For one so young, you're pretty talented." There was nothing wrong with forming friendships with other shinobi.

Ivy-1 laughed. "That means a lot, coming from a Konoha shinobi. You guys pump out child prodigies like it's your status quo."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ivy-san," Dog said with his best innocent voice.

Ivy-1 snorted, tipping her head in Crow and Sparrow's direction. "Sure you don't."

"Well." Dog changed the subject. "We should get going. It was nice doing business with you."

"With you, as well," Ivy-1 replied, nodding. "We hope to continue our relationship with the Great Konohagakure no Sato."

Dog simply nodded before signaling his team to leave. And in the blink of an eye, Team Ro was gone with the wind.

Ivy-1's smile faded from beneath her mask, her expression one of contemplation.

That boy, the one with the mask that resembled a crow… he wasn't just covered in blood, like they were.

He was soaked in it.

Almost like…

Almost like it was his own blood that he was drenched in.

But that couldn't be right. That much blood loss would kill anyone… Right?

There was a lot for Ivy-1 to report to her supervisors. She knew exactly what they would ask, too.

Do ghosts exist?

* * *

It took another four days for Team Ro to return to Konoha. And after the eleven days of being away from their home, they were glad to have returned. Though they had one more thing they needed to do before they could go home and rest.

When they arrived at the Hokage Tower, it was Uzumaki Kushina who greeted them at the Hokage's door.

Her eyes lit up when she saw who it was that was visiting the Hokage's office.

"You're back." She smiled. "Is everyone alright?" she asked the team in general.

Kakashi nodded. "We're fine. Is Hokage-sama in?"

Kushina nodded. "Sure is. Come on in with me. I was just returning to give him some more paperwork."

Kakashi chuckled. "Poor Hokage-sama. To have such a diligent assistant." Uzumaki Kushina helped the Hokage run the village. If one were to look, they'd find her signature next to the Hokage's almost everywhere except for the ANBU Black Ops.

"He's lucky he has me," the Uzumaki woman replied. "You know how much paperwork is involved with running a village? I don't know how Minato did it alone."

"He was a man of many talents," Kakashi replied, chuckling.

Naruto couldn't help but smile. He loved it when people talked about his father. He really was an amazing person.

"That he was," Kushina said dreamily, remembering the times she had with her husband.

A moment passed before the red-headed woman shook herself from her reminiscing, chuckling sheepishly.

She led them into the Hokage's office. One of the perks of being the Hokage's assistant was that she didn't have to knock to enter his office.

"Hokage-sama," she said, walking up to his desk and placing the papers she had in her hands on it. "Team Ro has returned," she announced as the last member—Sai—entered, closing the door behind him before lining up next to Naruto.

The Hokage smiled. "Thank you, Kushina-san. Could you take a look at these? I've read and signed everything, but I want to make sure I didn't miss anything."

Kushina nodded. "Of course, Hokage-sama," she replied, taking the offered stack of papers. "Would it be okay if I left early today? I'd like to cook my son a meal after his mission," she asked, hopeful.

The Hokage nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I'll have these finished by morning." And with that, Kushina left the room, allowing Team Ro to report on their mission. "I'll see you in a bit, Naruto-kun," she said before closing the door.

Naruto nodded.

Kakashi cleared his throat, ready to play the game of words.

"So, how did your mission go? Any trouble defending the bridge builders?" the Hokage asked fluidly.

" _Did you succeed in totally annihilating the Kaguya Clan?"_

"No, sir. The Kannabi Bridge was already nearly finished by the time we arrived. Not counting a very small and unprepared group of bandits, the mission went without a hitch," Kakashi explained, yet didn't.

" _The Kaguya were neutralized by way of ambush. Mission successful."_

"Glad to hear it," the Hokage replied. "We did our allies a good service. They won't forget that." He then looked at each member of Team Ro. "You've served your village with honor, Team Ro. Now go and be with loved ones and friends. You've earned a few weeks of leave."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kakashi said, joining his team and saluting their commander. "Naruto, instead of you paying for dinner, since you lost the bet, how about we join you and Kushina-san?"

Naruto's good mood at finally being home again dropped instantly. He really did try, but somehow one of the Kaguya managed to get him good with a sneak attack. Damn bastards.

"Okay, okay. I guess," Naruto pouted.

"Oh? I've heard about Lady Kushina's cooking before. Are the legends true? Does she cook the best meals in the Land of Fire?" Yūgao asked, excitement in her eyes. She completely ignored the dirty look Naruto gave her.

"Better." Kakashi eye-smiled, excitement written all over his face, too.

"I've only had it a few times, but it's the best thing I've ever had in my entire life," Sai added, also ignoring the look Naruto gave him.

They were all traitors. Every single one of them. His mother's food was for him, damn it.

As his personal ANBU unit left his office, the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato turned to face the panoramic window behind him, his eyes falling on the construction of the Hokage Monument.

"Pretty soon, Shisui, my face will join the others," Uchiha Itachi, the Lord Fifth Hokage stated, his eyes bleeding red. "I swear, I'll use these eyes you entrusted to me to watch over them all."

* * *

 **Oh yeah, Itachi is the Hokage. Did I forget to mention that?**

 **Like I said before, a lot of stuff will be AU since Kushina is alive and Naruto is… well, Naruto. One of those things is that Itachi is already the Hokage, and Kushina is his personal assistant. It's a lot like Shizune and Tsunade, except Kushina has more responsibilities.**

 **And in case you were wondering, yes, Ivy-1 was Ryūzetsu from the Naruto movie** _ **Blood Prison**_ **.**

 _hyvnn._

 **Yes, hyvnn, you did fail to mention that, ya bastard lol. Itachi as Hokage? Not something we see every day. Whaddya say, Readers? Shall we just see what this guy has in store for us?**

Dreaming of the Phoenix


	6. To Kill a Ghost

**New content!**

* * *

I am Become Death

Chapter V – To Kill a Ghost

* * *

It all happened so fast.

He was leading an ANBU squad one moment, and then in the next, he was leading an entire village.

He didn't hate, or even dislike, his new job. He was good at it. Really good. He had both the means to settle matters diplomatically with other villages, and the power to exert his policies through force if need be.

He understood what was most important in this life. He understood that the shinobi in the village mattered, that they weren't just weapons to be exploited.

He understood the consequences of losing. He could comprehend the cost and benefits of most situations almost instantly. He knew how cruel war could be, and why it was important to stray from that path.

After his failure in Mizu no Kuni… after losing Shisui… he had finally understood what the Lord Third Hokage was always talking about, all this time.

He had gone into the Land of Water a boy, and returned a man. A Hokage.

Uchiha Itachi burned bright with the Will of Fire.

* * *

Naruto was panting, out of breath and sore all over. His opponent was a formidable one, there was no doubt.

"You have to keep going, Naruto-chan," Uzumaki Kushina said, her breathing not in as bad of shape as her son's but not perfect, either. "Push yourself beyond your limits. You're the only one who can."

Naruto took in a deep breath, tightening his grip on the wooden sword within his hands, and began again. What seemed like the thousandth time, he blitzed forward with all the speed he possessed, bringing the practice sword up and down in a fluid motion, striking out at his mother.

Kushina met his strikes with her own wooden practice sword, blocking and parrying with only a small amount of effort.

His mother was really skilled in kenjutsu.

He felt his lungs burning and his muscles aching, but he ignored it. It was definitely unhealthy to do such a thing. The human body could only be pushed so far before it broke down.

Naruto parried a downward slash from his mother, about to counter with an upward thrust, when his body finally cried out in so much anguish, that he could no longer stand anymore. He collapsed, his sword falling to his side. The cold, unrelenting ground caught him, his body screaming at the arrival of even more pain.

He had been sparring with Kushina for days, far longer than even an Uzumaki could do safely. His mother had resorted to using Kage Bunshin after the first few hours. He hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten or drank anything since they started, and he could no longer continue. His body wouldn't allow it.

"Get up, Naruto. You can still continue," Kushina said, her cold tone not matching the worried expression on her face. It was almost comically obvious that she didn't like doing this, pushing her son so hard. But it had to happen.

"I…" Naruto wheezed. "I can't move… my body…" he managed to groan out, his entire body protesting with every cell.

"Yes you can," Kushina continued. "What rules the body?"

Naruto could hardly even catch his breath to answer.

"My… My mind," he replied, trying his absolute hardest to move at all. He managed, with great effort, to push himself up slightly, only for his arms to give out from underneath him, sending him crashing against the hard ground once again. He groaned in pain even as Kushina asked another question.

"And what is your strongest weapon?" she asked, watching her son with both worry and guilt.

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and developing more determination on his face than most grown men would ever experience in their entire lives.

"My…" he started, his body shaking, screaming in pain, as he began to get up. His entire body felt like it was on fire, like thousands of pieces of glass were underneath his skin. Still, he refused to stop, and rose to his feet with all the power in his twelve year old form. Once vertical, his eyes, as crimson as the day he was given his curse and blessing, met Kushina's. In that instant, Kushina was no longer looking at her baby, her little boy. "My body."

She was looking at an Uzumaki Apostle.

Kushina bent down, picking up her son's wooden sword and placing it into his hand. With her own sword in hers, she continued the lesson, pleased when he was able to block her strike.

"You have skills and abilities that no other person alive can even begin to understand." She blocked a swing that was meant for her leg. "But you cannot rely solely on them forever. You're an apostle. You can't afford to be a one trick pony." She smiled when he blocked a combo meant to take off your opponent's sword arm. "You'll need to use your mind and your body if you want to be able to protect those you call precious, and carry out the duties expected of you."

Naruto felt his knees shake, but pushed on, his face now resembling a madman.

"The mind controls the body," he all but shouted, striking and managing to actually make contact with flesh. "The body controls our enemies." He felt his left knee buckle underneath him. Instead of falling to the ground again, he leaned his weight onto his right leg. He was terribly unbalanced now, but at least he was standing. "And our enemies control nothing!"

Kushina smiled when he stopped his sword just inches away from her neck. And even though hers was pushed into his gut, making her the winner in any other situation, they both knew who the victor was this time.

After all, her attack would have only healed her son.

Before she could congratulate him on finally winning one of these little suicide trainings, Naruto fell to the ground, unconscious and seriously exhausted.

She hated pushing him this hard. Just because he wasn't really in any danger of being seriously harmed, she still disliked seeing him in such a condition. He was her little boy. No mother wanted to see their child near death.

But, Kushina's son was different. Special.

The widow of twelve years channeled wind chakra into the practice sword, giving the wooden weapon penetrating abilities. With only a single moment of thought, the Uzumaki woman drove the now lethal blade into her son's chest, piercing his heart.

He was dead in an instant.

The second she pulled the sword from his chest, ruby eyes opened, exhaustion vanishing.

"You did well, Naruto-chan," Kushina said, holding out a hand for her son to take. "I'll make you anything you want for dinner tonight as a reward."

Naruto grabbed the offered hand, standing. "I'm not hungry," he said, unintentionally speaking in his normal tone. A tone devoid of emotion. Seemingly realizing his slip up, his completely stoic expression changed before Kushina's very eyes. He smiled at his mother. Yet another mask he wore for those around him. "Just kidding. Let's have ramen!" he said with delight.

Kushina almost believed it.

"Of course," she replied anyway, smiling weakly. "I'll need to make a trip to the market, first."

"Oh! Can I come with, kaa-san?" Naruto asked, his voice still sweet and jolly. Almost as if it were real.

Kushina nodded. "Sure. You can help me with the bags."

The Uzumaki woman allowed herself to embrace the lie. Because the other option was just too painful.

* * *

She watched him smile as he passed villagers. She watched as he chuckled at the antics of a genin squad that was trying to catch a rather large cat. She watched as he pointed out things with wonder as they passed the many markets.

His expressions were flawless. They belayed true emotion, real responses to his surroundings. It almost made her cry.

Not because she was happy. It was the opposite, in fact. Uzumaki Kushina wanted to cry because she knew her son couldn't.

He couldn't feel sadness, or regret, or any of the other things ordinary people take for granted. He couldn't feel happiness or joy, either.

He was empty on the inside… and it made her heart ache.

He could smile on que, though. He could seem offended or even hurt, but none of it was real. He lost the ability to feel a long time ago.

Uzumaki Naruto wasn't human, not truly. Humans only had one life, and one death. They lived for a set amount of time, and then they died, usually before that time even expired naturally.

Her Naruto, though, was different.

His perception of death was very different than everyone else's. Death and dread went hand in hand. People feared death more than most anything, fearing what lay beyond. The place that was the unknown.

Naruto had no such fears of death. Even if he could feel such a thing as fear, he still wouldn't fear death. After all, what was death to an immortal? Why fear something that couldn't touch you?

Kushina's son couldn't die, and to most mother's, that would be a blessing. But nothing ever came without consequences.

A person can't just die as many times as her Naruto had and be perfectly fine. That would be too easy.

No, his blessing was also a curse, for while it made sure he would never stay dead, it also made sure he would never experience life the way it was meant to be.

It started with his pain tolerance. Kushina noticed by the time of his fifth death that he no longer felt pain as much as he once did. Cuts and scrapes he received from their training together no longer fazed him, growing to the point that he barely noticed he was injured at all.

Then it was his smile. He stopped smiling at her with that big, beautiful smile of his, the one that made her feel like a true mother. It was gone now. That had really broken her heart.

Slowly but surely, the things that made her son human started to fade. He stopped laughing, crying, pranking—and then, he even stopped eating.

Uzumaki Naruto's humanity faded before Kushina's very eyes, slowly, as time passed. What was left was what she had helped forge. And while she was proud of her son's progress down the path of an apostle, she was wracked with guilt.

She had stolen her baby's childhood from him, and she would never forgive herself for that.

* * *

Naruto yawned. "You know, I don't really understand why I always have to show up to these things," he said tiredly, his eyes half-lidded. "I'm not even really a shinobi. I just freelance once in a while."

"You're a member of Team Ro," Namiashi Raidō started. "You're required to attend all squad meetings."

"Like, if I have to be here, then so do you, you know," Hinoko, codenamed Soku, said. "Stop complaining, runt."

"It wouldn't be so bad if the captain wasn't late all the time," Naruto said, stretching his back, bringing the topic back to his point. They had been waiting for thirty minutes now and he was starting to get stiff. "And how the hell he always knows if we don't show up on time, I'll never understand!"

"It is uncanny," Sai added, his eyes never leaving the book he was currently painting in.

"It's Hatake," Yūgao said, snorting. "He's not a famous shinobi for nothing."

"Yūgao-san is right," Tenzō stated, smirking. "Kakashi-senpai is a great shinobi."

"Mah, mah, you're too kind." Speak of the devil.

"You're late, captain," Naruto said, annoyed.

"Sorry about that," he waved off with an eye smile. "I had to help an old lady get home, but she lived outside of the village."

Team Ro sighed.

"Anyways, let's get started with the meeting!"

* * *

The meeting was concluded rather quickly. They only went over a few mission reports and took stock of the Team Ro supply stores. They needed to purchase more explosive tags and kunai, but other than that, they were looking good.

Kakashi-senpai had gone over their schedule for the next few days and dismissed them after that.

Naruto had planned to go home and train for the rest of the day, but he was stopped before he could leave the debriefing room in ANBU HQ they reserved.

"Uzumaki, you got a minute?" Yūgao asked from behind him, just exiting the room they were previously in.

He nodded, waiting for her to catch up.

"I need to ask for a favor…" she said hesitantly, obviously uncomfortable with asking a coworker for a personal favor. "I…" She looked around. "I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat and I'll fill you in, yeah?"

Despite not being hungry (he never was anymore…), he smiled nonetheless, rubbing his stomach sheepishly.

"I could go for some ramen!" he said cheerfully, his bright expression so good it almost fooled himself.

"You really like ramen too much, kid," Yūgao chuckled. "But sure, ramen it is. And it's on me!"

"Alright!" he cheered, keeping his façade in place. The less people who knew the truth, the better.

* * *

Yūgao watched as he slurped his noodles down with delight. She ate alongside him in silence for a few moments before she started.

"So, what do you do when you're not on the job?" she asked, deciding to take this time to try and get to know her teammate a little better. While they were friends of a sort, she knew next to nothing about the little, red-headed kid.

"I spend most of my time with my kaa-san at the shrine. We train a lot there."

Yūgao nodded, knowing beforehand that he and his mother were almost always at the Uzumaki Shrine just outside the village.

"I heard about that," she said, taking a sip of water before continuing. "It's a shrine dedicated to your clan, right? The Uzumaki."

Yugao knew a little about the Uzumaki clan. She knew that they were excellent fūinjutsu masters, and that it was that efficiency that led to their downfall. The destruction of the Uzumaki had been heard around the world.

"Yup," Naruto responded. "We keep certain traditions alive there."

Yūgao raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah, but its super-secret stuff. Can't divulge the information to an outsider." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes with a small smirk, knowing that he was probably messing with her. Most likely.

"So, what's this favor you wanted to ask me about?"

Yūgao nodded. "I…" she centered herself, gathering her thoughts. "I have a friend that you might be able to help."

Naruto continued eating, listening.

"She was cursed by her former sensei before he defected, and has been suffering from it ever since." Yūgao had been thinking about this ever since she met Naruto. "It's a complex seal that affects her constantly. She can't use her full strength without succumbing to it."

"Sounds awful," Naruto added.

Yūgao nodded. "It is. If she exerts herself, the seal flares and causes her a lot of pain." She looked at the redhead uncomfortably. "I'm not even sure you could help, but… you and your mother are Uzumaki. If anyone, you might be able to do something…"

Yūgao had a decent knowledge of fūinjutsu, but _this_ was way out of her league. So, she went to the masters.

He was silent for a few minutes, really thinking it over. It made Yūgao nervous. Had she gone too far with asking for this? She had never helped him out, after all. Why would he do this for her?

"She could trade you a jutsu for it," Yūgao started, knowing it was stupid to promise something without even discussing it with her friend first. But she really wanted to help her. "She knows a suicide technique. Those are sort of your specialty, right?"

He was still silent, still thinking it over, still making her sweat.

"What's her name?" he finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"Anko," she said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Mitarashi Anko."

Naruto placed his chopsticks on his bowl, which was now empty, she realized, and stood.

"Okay," he said, walking out of the stand.

Yūgao blinked. 'Okay?'

* * *

Mitarashi Anko didn't know what to think when she was suddenly summoned to the Hokage's office on her day off. At first, she wondered if it was an emergency of some sort, but when she walked into the office of the Lord Fifth Hokage, there was only one other person present besides the Hokage himself.

Uzumaki Kushina, the Lord Fifth's assistant and the wife of the late Lord Fourth was someone Anko knew very little about. Kushina was a woman who kept to herself and spent most of her time either aiding the Hokage with running the village, or raising her son, Uzumaki Naruto, someone Anko knew even less about.

Anko admitted that Kushina was a beautiful woman with long crimson hair and the fairest skin she'd ever seen. The Lord Fourth really was a lucky bastard to land someone as beautiful as his wife. Though, Anko also had to admit that Namikaze Minato was no slouch in the looks department, either.

And if the stories about his ability on the battlefield during the war had even a little truth to them, even in the slightest, then the Lord Fourth was the full package.

"Mitarashi Anko-san," the Lord Fifth started once she entered the office. "It's come to my attention that the traitor Orochimaru was your sensei before he defected."

Anko nodded. "Yes, he was," she said cautiously. The Lord Third understood her situation, but she had no idea if the new Hokage would. "Is that a problem, sir?"

Itachi shook his head. "Not at all. I was looking into the profiles of the special jōnin, and the curse mark came up in yours." The Uchiha's eyes bled crimson. "It affects you, even still, doesn't it?" he asked simply.

Anko swallowed. "Nothing major, Hokage-sama. It occasionally flares with pain every once in a while, but nothing I can't handle."

There was silence for a long moment, until the Lord Fifth started again. "Kushina-san, what do you think?"

Anko's chocolate eyes fell onto the red-headed woman, unsure why they were discussing her curse mark. She sure as hell didn't want to.

The Uzumaki woman walked around the desk until she was standing right in front of the purple-haired kunoichi.

"May I?" she asked, gesturing to her shoulder.

Anko nodded, allowing Kushina to examine the mark more closely. She didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"There's no way to remove it without either killing her, or activating whatever's sealed within," she stated bluntly. "But I may be able to transfer it."

Anko wasn't even upset about the fact that it couldn't be removed. She had come to terms with that a long time ago. But…

"What do you mean, transfer it? Transfer it to what?" the snake summoner asked, not really liking where she thought this was going.

"Another host body," Kushina stated, much to Anko's dread. "I could transfer the curse mark to another. It could kill them, but it wouldn't bother you ever again."

Anko gulped. The desire to be free of her sensei's last "gift" to her was being smothered by the thought of watching someone else branded with it. She knew the odds. One in ten people died from receiving this mark. Anko only survived it by happenstance. She understood that she was strong, but she wasn't arrogant enough to think that she was that special. Luck was on her side that day.

"And the mark would vanish once you killed the host?" the youngest Hokage in history asked, his eyes unrelenting. The question made Anko flinch.

"Yes, it should. Without a chakra network to feed on, the mark should dissipate. Kill the host, and the mark will fade," Kushina explained.

She knew she should just keep her mouth shut and be grateful that she was about to get the twisted reminder of her former genin days taken off of her, but Anko just couldn't help it.

"At the risk of looking a gift horse in the mouth, may I say something?" She waited for the Hokage to nod, unsure how to act around the relatively new leader of her village. Uchiha Itachi was an intimidating young man, despite his age and stature. "I would love to get this thing removed," she pointed to the black curse mark upon her shoulder, "but… I'm not really comfortable with the idea of practically sentencing some random person to death."

"Who said anything about it being random?" the Uzumaki woman asked, smirking.

Anko blinked. "You already have someone in mind?" she asked. "Who? A criminal? Is it a citizen of Konoha?"

"I am a citizen of Konoha," a strange voice that sounded too artificial to even be human spoke, much to Anko's surprise. "Though, a criminal I am not." The voice cleared its throat sheepishly. "Well… it kinda depends on who you're asking, I guess…"

Mitarashi looked around the office for the person who spoke, but found no one besides the Hokage and the Uzumaki woman.

"Uh…" she tried, looking incredibly confused. "What's going on?"

"Anko-san, I'd like to introduce you to one of my ANBU operatives," the Hokage stated, looking at… nothing? "Crow, this is Mitarashi Anko-san, one of my special jōnin. Anko-san, this is Crow, one of my personal ANBU."

Anko blinked. "Is this some kind of joke, sir?" she asked, slightly irritated.

"No joke, Anko-san," Itachi replied, clasping his hands together. "Crow is a ghost, an apparition that serves the village."

Again, Anko blinked. "A… ghost…?"

The Uchiha nodded, completely serious. Anko looked to the Uzumaki in the room, and she saw, much to her confusion, that she, too, wore a serious expression.

"A ghost," Itachi replied. "And he's going to help with the removal of the mark."

Anko tried, and failed, to sense where this so-called ghost was, and who was behind the voice.

"And how is this… Mr. Ghost going to do that?" Anko asked, disbelieving.

"That's simple, Ms. Dango," the ghost replied teasingly.

"I'm going to die for you."

* * *

 **I'm sure some of you caught the Netflix Original 'Daredevil' reference (the bit where Naruto's training with Kushina).**

 **I've written this chapter so many times, it's not even funny. I actually had a completely different idea before this, but decided to change it half way through. I hope it was the right choice. Also, I'm not adding Anko to the team. And she won't be paired with Naruto, either.**

 _hyvnn._


	7. Waves of Injustice

**Please read the bottom AN. Thanks.**

* * *

I am Become Death

Chapter VI – Waves of Injustice

* * *

Naruto looked at the sleeping kunoichi curiously, wondering what her life had been like with that _thing_ on her neck for so long.

Mitarashi Anko. He didn't know much about the woman, but he did know one thing—she was as tough as nails. She had to be, to put up with that curse mark for so many years. It was only on his flesh for a few minutes and it felt like his neck was going to fall off, no matter how silly and illogical it sounded. It was both hot and cold at the same time, or perhaps, so cold that it felt hot. He couldn't really describe it.

And his pain threshold was off the charts. He had stopped feeling pain as much as he once did after dying so many times—and it _still_ hurt. Not to mention the sick, repulsive feeling it radiated from his own body, like thousands of slimy snakes slithering under his skin and in his veins.

It was horrible.

Luckily, once his mother had transferred the mark over to him, she had killed him quickly. A single slash at his neck that dug far enough to make death instantaneous. It had only been two minutes, three at the most, but it had been far too long, in his personal opinion.

That was over now, though. Now, Anko was lying in a hospital bed, recovering. She was fine physically, but the strain the transference put on her body—not to mention the emotional bits she must have felt—had exhausted her. His mother had told him that she'd be okay in a few hours, and back to—if not better than—normal in a few days.

Naruto was happy. Or, as happy as someone whose feelings were so numbed like his could be.

He understood feelings—all of them, in fact. He had felt them himself quite a lot. He could remember feeling happy, because his mother cooked his favorite meal or a particularly funny prank was successful. But now, that very same happiness just didn't feel the same.

Watching as the special jōnin's chest rose and fell as she breathed steadily, Naruto allowed his mind to roam.

It was because he kept dying. Each time he came back, it felt as if a piece of himself was left on the other side, whatever that other side was, because he surely couldn't remember. He felt numb, on the inside, when he returned from death. He didn't know why it happened, it just did.

At first it made him sad. He enjoyed his feelings, it was one of the few things that he had in common with normal people. He cried in his mother's arms when he noticed that he couldn't smile anymore without forcing himself to.

But even that sadness faded away, too, until all that was left was cold indifference. All he had left to guide him were the echoes of those feelings, their memories.

He remembered the love he felt for his mother. How she made him feel safe and loved just by being by his side. He remembered the fear he felt at dying, how before each time, he wondered if he'd actually come back. He remembered them all, but he couldn't feel them anymore, no matter how hard he tried, so he stopped trying.

He was a lot like Sai, actually. Always acting, always pretending. He was just much better at it than the art-loving older boy.

A soft, gentle snore rang out in the hospital room, ripping Naruto out of his thoughts. He chuckled, because he remembered that that's how the old him would have reacted. Then, he watched as his body faded into black dust, leaving Mitarashi Anko, a free woman, alone in the hospital room.

Across the village, passed the homes and shops and streets, behind the massive walls that protected the village and underneath the Uzumaki Shrine, Uzumaki Naruto's crimson eyes opened.

* * *

Naruto learned later from Yūgao that Anko had made a full recovery, and within a day was out in the training fields, training to her heart's content. Without the curse mark to restrict how much energy she expended, she could finally truly push her limits. For the first time in years, she could actually work on improving herself.

Naruto smiled and nodded, like he knew he was supposed to, when his cat-masked teammate explained that Anko was aiming for a promotion to fully-fledged jōnin. That he and his mother had helped ignite Anko's passion for training again after so long of having to hold herself back.

Naruto was glad that she was free from that mark. After experiencing it for himself, he fully understood why she was so happy—he just couldn't feel that happiness himself. His apathy was carefully hidden, however, and he felt that Yūgao might have developed a more familiar bond with him because of it.

As for the suicide technique he was promised, it turned out that it required signing a blood contract with the Snake Scroll, a scroll that was in the possession of Anko's traitorous sensei, Orochimaru. Yūgao hadn't known any of this at the time, and apologized extensively for it.

Naruto didn't care very much. He didn't particularly like suicide techniques, like a lot of people might think. He was just the only person who could utilize them.

After all, who enjoys killing themselves, even if they know they'd always come back?

* * *

When Sarutobi Hiruzen announced the appointment of Uchiha Itachi as the Lord Fifth Hokage, the decision was met with no small amount of reticence.

He was young—the youngest Hokage in history, in fact. At the age of fifteen, Itachi had been fairly unknown. Unlike his predecessor, he wasn't a famed war hero, nor did he possess a fancy moniker like the Yellow Flash.

He had made some waves when he graduated the academy at only seven, and once again when he took the Chūnin Exams by himself. But after that, he had joined the ANBU Black Ops, and the rising star that was Uchiha Itachi faded into obscurity. He had completed many missions, it was true, but he was good enough to keep a low profile while he did it.

Thankfully, the Lord Third's decision was backed, surprisingly, by the Second-in-Command, Lord Danzō, and the elders that sat on the council. Because while the village at large knew very little about Itachi, the officials had been following his career since the very beginning. They all knew just how special he really was.

And now, after three years of leading, no one doubted the Lord Third's second successor. Itachi, while rather young, was just as fierce as those who came before him. With a keen mind and an overwhelming sense of loyalty to the village, the Lord Fifth proved himself the right man for the job.

After the Third Ninja World War, the Kyūbi assault on the village, the death of the Lord Fourth, and the debacle with Kumogakure and the Hyūga clan, Konoha had experienced disaster after disaster, and it would take a strong leader to keep it afloat.

That strong leader was currently reading a rather disturbing report. Within the Hokage Tower, behind his desk and only a single ANBU operative hiding in the shadows to keep him company, Itachi contemplated the new information.

It was more rumor than hard intel, really. Something was happening in a small nation to the east of the Land of Fire.

 _Latest reports places_ that _man in the Land of Waves…_ Itachi thought, onyx orbs skimming through the papers within his grasp. _And now, there hasn't been much activity in that region, despite a massive company moving into a main port…_

Itachi had been keeping a close eye on the situation, gathering information. To move on a man with that many connections and that much political influence without being positive of criminal involvement would be foolish.

He wondered, though, how his predecessors would make their next move.

He knew very little about the Lord First and the Lord Second, so what they'd do was a complete mystery. The Lord Third, while being the most confident of the Hokage, was also the least likely to react in an overt fashion. Unlike the council he kept, Hiruzen believed in leading with a softer touch. And as for the Lord Fourth—well, he was the student of the Lord Third's student, so his methods were probably much closer to Hiruzen's than Itachi's.

' _Target showcases a lack of basic morality. Fear and torture tactics prominent.'_ Itachi read the line again and contemplated the best course of action.

He was the Hokage now—it was his decisions that would move the village forward. And while a good leader listened to his own instincts and made his own decisions, he also trusted in his advisors.

"Call the council," Itachi said softly to the shadowy figure at his side.

"As you command, Lord Hokage," the shadow replied. And in an instant, Itachi was truly alone in his office, the operative gone to do his commanders bidding.

* * *

It only took twenty minutes for his small council to arrive. They assembled in his office and patiently waited for him to start.

"I apologize for calling you all here so suddenly, but I'd like your input on a situation," Itachi said.

Shimura Danzō, Second-in-Command, shook his head, his single visible eye closed. "A Hokage does not apologize," he said, voice deep and grave.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Itachi's personal advisor, chuckled softly. "My old friend has a point, Itachi-kun."

"Finally, something we can all agree on," Nara Shikaku, the last and newest member of Itachi's new council said, smirking at his older counterparts.

When Itachi took over as Hokage, one of his first decisions was to change up the council members. Homura and Koharu served the village diligently for years, but they had grown complacent in their long tenure, almost sycophantic with their "advice."

Immediately after removing those two, he appointed Hiruzen as a replacement. There was no one better to advise a Hokage than a former Hokage. One of Hiruzen's first pieces of advice was to keep Lord Danzō close. Without a tight leash, the darkness of the village could easily swallow it whole. That was why the old war hawk still kept his position.

Naming Uzumaki Kushina as his assistant had been an unexpected choice for most, which was exactly why he had done it. Kushina was a trustworthy person and the wife of the Hero Hokage. And even though he despised it, good PR was sometimes a necessary evil. Not to mention the woman was good at her job. That she was the mother of one of his most powerful agents might have had a hand in his decision, too.

Nara Shikaku was his Jōnin-Commander and head strategist, so he was almost always present at the small council meetings. Eventually, needing to replace Homura and finding no one better for the job, Itachi finally made it official.

These three men were his advisers, three extra minds thinking different and similar thoughts, offering much needed wisdom. A single man couldn't lead an entire nation, after all. Everyone needed help.

"What is the matter you wish to discuss, Itachi-kun?" Hiruzen asked, using an informal honorific despite Itachi's position. He was perhaps the only man in the whole world who could. Holding the title of 'God of Shinobi' had its perks.

Itachi nodded slightly, thankful that they were ready to proceed. "This," he said, sliding a folder across his desk. Shikaku was the first to pick it up and open it. "I feel it might be time to become more proactive in this situation."

Shikaku's eyes quickly skimmed through the front page of the folder, the same page Itachi had been reading a few minutes ago, and sighed. "So, it's finally escalating. I knew it would."

Shikaku handed the folder over to Hiruzen, who read the first page before giving it to Danzō.

"I had hoped we were wrong," Hiruzen admitted, face grim. "His services have helped us in the past... But we cannot look the other way any longer—not when so many innocent people are at risk."

"I agree," Danzō said, surprising Hiruzen. "He has been useful to us before, but now he must be dealt with. His ambition is getting to his head, and it could have negative consequences for Konoha."

"We should never have worked with someone like him in the first place," Shikaku spat, scowling. "Men like him are all the same. They'll do whatever it takes to fulfill their delusions of grandeur." He looked at Itachi. "We helped create this monster, Hokage-sama. It's our responsibility to put him down."

Itachi stayed silent, going over their words carefully in his head. He knew that Hiruzen was more experienced than him, Danzō more willing to get his hands dirty, and Shikaku much smarter, but it was his responsibility, his shoulders the decision rested upon.

They say that intelligence speaks, but wisdom listens. So Itachi made the wise choice and listened.

"His influence and wealth have grown far larger than we had expected," Hiruzen said, his words heavy with regret. "I'm sorry you had to inherit my mistakes, Itachi…"

The lack of "–kun" somehow made Itachi uncomfortable.

"Whosever mistake it was doesn't matter," Shikaku started. "We must end this—now."

"Strike now, with impunity, before knowledge of our involvement comes to light," Danzō added, his one good eye trained on one of Itachi's without fear. He was one of the few people who would still look into his eyes.

Silence filled the office for almost fifteen minutes before Itachi finally came to a decision. He never made them lightly.

Once again, he looked to his side, where his operative had returned to the shadows. "Summon Team Ro," he ordered. "I have a mission for them."

"As you command, Lord Hokage," the operative replied again, vanishing without being seen.

Itachi looked at the men who had created this mess and sighed. He hoped he didn't have to clean up after them forever.

* * *

Crow always enjoyed the way the wind whispered in his hair when he rode atop Sparrow's giant ink-made hawk.

"Have you ever been to the Land of Waves before?" Sparrow asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had prevailed for the last hour. "It's one of the few nations that have no Hidden Village whatsoever."

Crow shook his head. "Never been," he admitted. "It's a poor country, right?"

Sparrow nodded. "Yes," he said. "With no Hidden Village, the entire country's economy can barely support itself."

"Seems like a crummy place to live," Crow stated, stretching his arms above his head, pretending that he knew what an economy was and why it was important.

Silence fell over them once again, lasting only a few minutes this time before being interrupted.

"What do you think about the target?" Sparrow asked, looking forward. "This shipping tycoon… Gatō, right?"

Crow hummed behind his mask. "He sounds like just the kind of person who deserves to be murdered."

Sparrow nodded, staying silent. After what the Lord Hokage had told them, he agreed with his death-dealing comrade.

* * *

 _ **Twenty hours ago _ Hokage's office**_

"His name is Gatō of the Gatō Company," the Lord Fifth began, explaining their next mission. "On the surface, he's an international shipping magnate. However, his specialties lie elsewhere."

The entire time, the two youngest members of Team Ro (and all of ANBU, in fact) stayed perfectly silent.

"He's the largest drug dispenser and illegal smuggler in the Elemental Nations. He's connected to half of the criminal activity we monitor, and that's just what we're aware of."

Sparrow had heard of the man before, of course. It was said that he was the richest man in the world.

"Recent intel puts Gatō in the Land of Waves, and ever since he arrived in the small nation, the entire country has gone silent. We've got reports that he's all but taken over the nation and is using fear tactics to quell civilians. He's resorted to torture and murder to get his way, and we can no longer sit idle as his influence and power grows."

Crow already knew what this mission would be.

"I'm assigning an S-rank assassination mission to the two of you. Both the captain and lieutenant of Team Ro are leading other missions elsewhere with your teammates, so I'm leaving this mission up to the two of you. Infiltrate the Land of Waves, locate Gatō, and eliminate him and his entire operation."

"Lord Hokage, forgive me, but…" Sparrow started, obviously anxious. "Why such a high ranking mission? This kind of mission—a civilian assassination—should only warrant an A rank… right?"

The Lord Fifth sighed, folding his hands together. He was irritated, they noticed, but not at them, nor the question.

"This is classified information," Itachi began, receiving nods from his two agents. "It would seem that the previous establishment," i.e. Hiruzen and his advisors, "had a hand in growing Gatō's influence. They used him many times to smuggle operatives in and out of countries we couldn't infiltrate ourselves." His expression was neutral but his tone was full of shame. "Not only did we pay him for his services, but we also looked the other way at his criminal activity. But no more."

Now Sparrow understood. This was more than a simple assassination. Gatō needed to die before it got out that Konoha employed known criminals for personal gain.

"You leave in the morning. Prepare yourself. We know that Gatō employs shinobi as well as mercenaries."

"Yes, sir," Sparrow and Crow said as one, bowing to their Hokage before leaving to prepare for their mission.

* * *

On foot, the trip to the Land of Waves would take the better part of four days to reach, if you walked the whole way. Ninja, more used to running for hours on end, could reach it in three. With Sparrow's specialty, though, they two ANBU operatives made the trip in two days.

There really was no better way to travel than by air. No obstructions or detours—just a straight line to the destination. Quick and easy.

It also made entering the country ridiculously easy. They had been warned that Gatō used shinobi (missing-nin, most likely) as personal bodyguards, and to expect resistance when they arrived. Fortunately, Team Ro was stacked with extraordinary gifts, and Sparrow's Chōjū Giga was as useful and versatile as his imagination could make it. And Sparrow was an artist…

They slipped into the country and were at the main port before anyone was any the wiser. To better blend in, they took off their masks and changed into civilian clothes. Getting inside was the easy part. Now, they had to _find_ the target. And while the main port was located in a rather small fishing village (they noticed the beginning construction of a massive bridge), it was still large enough that it would take time to locate Gatō himself.

The first day was spent getting the lay of the land. The village proper was basically a small strip of pathetic shops. They sold the scraps they could get their hands on, which wasn't much, and gave off an overall defeated ambiance.

West of that was the port. They saw a fleet of cargo ships docked at the bay, but they weren't moving much. Whatever they were doing here, Naruto and Sai had no idea. They merely watched them come and go (when they actually did move), recording their movements in case the information became useful in the future until they were chased away by the "dock workers." They both looked like average children, merely stalking the streets in boredom.

East of the village proper was where a majority of the homes were located. There was a massive river that separated the two. The homes themselves weren't as bad as they had expected. Though the mood that hung in the air around them was thick with fear.

Naruto and Sai spent the second day talking to the other kids that were running around. There were a lot of them, each looking too thin. They weren't very trustful, obviously, but some answered questions if they flashed some money.

They learned from the kids that Gatō had arrived a year ago. He came with his ships and promise of prosperity, but had only brought fear and oppression. He took over the port and started slapping outrageous taxes on everything, even making the adults pay a "protection fee," even though it was Gatō and his thugs they needed protection from.

Apparently, it had gotten really bad a few months ago, when a man who was something of a village hero was publicly tortured to death for standing up against the tyrant. After that, no one dared speak out against Gatō. He was all but the absolute ruler of the village, and in fact, the entire small country.

On the third day, they started following the "thugs" who accosted the villagers. They had only seen average mercenaries so far—no ninja. They were untrained and, for the most part, a non-threat to any shinobi from the genin rank up. But their numbers could prove a problem.

The mercenaries had a base near the docks, which was obscenely easy for Naruto and Sai to infiltrate. Sai's Chōjū Giga alone made recon too easy. With the added help of Kuro, they had gathered enough information to get a rough sketch of the general area where Gatō was hiding.

The mission was moving along nicely.

* * *

They were high above the earth and water, flying around on Sai's creation. The breeze Naruto loved so much seemed… tainted, somehow. He inhaled, breathing in the smell of seawater and depression. This was not a happy place to be.

"Isn't it ironic?" Sai asked, looking down at the ships below. "The wealthiest man in the world comes to town, and this is the outcome," he finished, pointing to the rundown village proper and the overall feeling of defeat and oppression.

Naruto looked at the villagers and how they walked as if an invisible weight pushed down on their shoulders. And even as emotionally impaired as he was, he knew this was no way to live.

"Wealth and corruption are different sides of the same coin. Keep flipping that coin, and you're bound to land on the corrupted end." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Or that's what my kaa-san says, anyway." He said, chuckling.

Sai nodded. "She's right," he said, glaring down at a mercenary who was pushing around an old man. They were too far up to hear anything, but they both knew what the confrontation was about.

They were silent for a moment, watching the injustice below, before Sai spoke again.

"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."

Naruto nodded, having heard the quote before from his mother. "Then let's do our duty and murder these scum."

* * *

 **I wanted to bring a feeling of realism to the spy-like nature of the ANBU Black Ops and the importance of morally questionable actions taken by governments. Gatō seems like just the kind of criminal that a Hidden Village would try to use to their benefit—like, I don't know, smuggling agents into restricted places. And the information gathering at the end of the chapter was to fulfill that spy feeling I wanted to incorporate.**

 **The next chapter should wrap up the obligatory Wave Arc. After that, we can get into the meat of the story, which will take place during the Chūnin Exams and immediately after. I'll probably split pre-Shippūden and Shippūden into two separate stories, both of which won't be very large.**

 **On an unrelated note, I've finally joined Discord. PM me if you know of any good fanfiction servers. I might create my own group if I can learn how to actually do it. I'm very knew to the app and know nothing.**

 **Also, I'm looking for some people who would be interested in helping me with this fic. I need someone to bounce ideas off of, and maybe give me a few ideas, too. PM if you're interested.**

 **Special thanks to Dreaming of the Phoenix for all the help.**

 _hyvnn._


	8. Heavenly Punishment

**If you haven't noticed already, I've edited this story and changed a few things. You should really go back and read from the beginning to see all the changes, especially the last chapter, which is almost entirely different than the original.**

 **Also, this chapter has not been beta'd yet. If/when my buddy gets the chance to look it over, I'll repost the edited chapter. Until then, enjoy!**

* * *

I am Become Death

Chapter VII – Heavenly Punishment

* * *

Over the next few days, Gatō's men started to disappear. The first few went unnoticed. Mercenaries were loyal to no one. Oftentimes, they'd desert their employer to pursue other means of employment. Treachery was commonplace amongst the treacherous.

Three or four missing patrollers, one or two "tax collectors" gone missing—these things could be overlooked. But then an entire hideout of them seemingly up and vanished, finally gaining the attention of Gatō himself.

"The Residence Hideout is completely vacant, Lord Gatō," Nameless Crony One informed, unable to meet the beady little eyes of his boss. "There are no signs of them at all—it's almost like…"

"Like?" Gatō pried, tapping his finger against his overly large chair. They were in their main hideout, several miles outside of the main port most of his business was controlled from, hidden in a thick forest and suspended above the ground.

"Like they all just left…" Nameless Crony Two finished, slightly less nervously. "But I knew some of those guys, sir. They weren't the type to just leave." He was silent for a moment, contemplating. "I believe something else is going on."

"Oh?" Gatō said, leaning forward. "And what would that something else be? Hmm?"

Nameless Crony Two shrugged. "I'm not sure, sir. Something just doesn't feel right." He looked away. "Perhaps a Hidden Village has finally decided to move against us…?"

Gatō snorted. "They wouldn't dare!" He laughed like a cliché little villain. "I've done business with most of them! They know exactly what would happen if they even tried to move against me!" Then he looked to his right, where two certain people sat, relaxed, and chuckled. "And if they're stupid enough to piss me off, those two over there will deal with them."

"Of course, sir! Of course!" Nameless Crony One, the obviously more sycophantic one, said, nodding overly enthusiastically.

When you're the Head Honcho, you're always "right," even if you're not.

* * *

For the last four days, Crow and Sparrow had gone on a murder spree in the Land of Waves, eliminating mercenary after mercenary, thug after thug, systematically dismantling Gatō's personal army. The body count was growing by the hour, it seemed.

The citizens had taken notice, as well. The dwindling numbers of their oppressors was growing more and more obvious. There were less of them patrolling the streets, harassing shopkeepers and extorting money from the already poor and desperate.

No one knew what was happening, but everyone could agree on one thing: they hoped it continued. A year of suffering under Gatō's grip had made a lot of them vicious. If someone—or some _thing_ —was " _disappearing"_ Gatō's lackeys, they were more than happy to stay out of the way and let it happen.

Even Tazuna, the village bridge builder, was benefiting from the disappearances. Gatō had been a massive nuisance for the elderly man, sending goons to harass him and his men, getting in the way of the bridge's construction.

But lately, no goons came. The engineers had several days of uninterrupted work. In only a small amount of time, morale had swelled and the majority of people didn't even know why.

They couldn't have known that a ghost was reaping the men they despised. They couldn't have known that people were dying in droves all around them.

That death walked among them.

* * *

Gatō was scared. Terrified, even.

Twenty-one days. Three weeks. It had only taken three weeks for eighty percent of his empire to fall. He had lost millions trying to replace all the manpower that kept seemingly vanishing. And the worst part of all was that he had no idea who or what was responsible for it.

He had taken to biting his well-groomed nails and pulling at his straw-colored hair, jumping at every sound and even his own shadow, suspecting an enemy to appear out of thin air. He wanted to scream at and blame Faceless Crony One and Two, as per usual, but they were gone, too, disappearing only two days ago.

Paranoia was kicking in and everyone was against him. He trusted no one. It had to be a shadowy organization, a large, well-funded, mystery rival. That was the only explanation Gatō could think of. This level of attack, the amount of damage done to his empire—it _had_ to be a massive effort.

It was finally bad enough that he needed to risk his own life to get to the bottom of this treachery.

"Go," he ordered, staring at the two figures before him. "Uncover this conspiracy and make my enemies _bleed_!"

They did not nod, nor speak. Gatō was scared to be alone around them, but they were all that was left. His last card to play. His only hope. The handful of men he still had left couldn't leave, les leave the last standing hideout completely defenseless.

In the blink of an eye, they were gone, off to earn the obscene amount of money he paid for their services.

Everything would be fine. It would be fine. _It would be fine…_

* * *

The mission was going as planned. Together, Crow and Sparrow used all their training to destabilize Gatō's hold over the Land of Waves.

First, they learned all his secrets: trade routes were mapped and patrol shifts memorized. In the first few days, Sparrow had literally drawn a map of all enemy movements. The ink on the maps, mixed with chakra and a part of Sparrow's technique, was constantly in motion, reflecting real time movements. It helped organize them early on, allowing them to keep track of their surroundings more efficiently.

After collecting enough intel, they started to clean house. There were roughly two-hundred men under Gatō's employ, each a mercenary with little to know actual training. Picking them off one at a time was child's play. To do it without letting the others know that their comrades were actually dying was slightly more difficult, but not impossible. They were ANBU Black Ops, after all. Anyone with a knife could kill someone—the ANBU learned how to kill and _get away with it_. That had been one of the reasons Sparrow was recruited to Team Ro, even.

In the first week, they had eliminated forty-four of Gatō's men. By the second week, that number doubled. The mercs were spread out wide enough and they had abysmal enough methods of communication that their disorganization had proved to be their fatal flaw. Entire "squads" could go missing for days before it was noticed.

Cleaning up after themselves was perhaps the hardest part. The bodies, once neutralized, were sealed away by Sparrow's Chōjū Giga. It took some time to seal so many away, however, meaning "hit and run" tactics weren't optional, which was why they couldn't kill them faster. This kind of warfare required finesse and patience.

They knew Gatō was feeling their… _attention to detail_. They had thoroughly studied the effects of psychological warfare—how, to fight a larger enemy, you had to make them doubt one another, and most importantly, to ignite fear and confusion in the enemy's leader.

If the head was removed, the body would flail and wither away.

By the third week, Gatō's forces were halved. The port village was all but free from his reach. There hadn't been any tax or protection fee collections in days. The air was still rife with anxiousness and trepidation, but soon, Sparrow and Crow thought, they would recover, especially once the bridge was complete and trade and commerce were introduced and more widespread.

Their Hokage had ordered them to not only eliminate Gatō, but to dismantle his entire network. So that's exactly what they were doing.

* * *

The redheaded woman's smile was a vicious thing, Itachi thought, as she handed him _another_ stack of papers that needed his signature. She must still be upset that he had sent her son on such a long mission.

Itachi sighed. "Is that the last one?" he asked, dreading her answer.

"Nope," Kushina replied, her voice sickly sweet. "There's three more stacks after that one," she said, pointing at the mountain of reports and documents she had just basically smacked him in the face with. "You'll be busy for the rest of the day, Hokage- _sama_."

Itachi opened his mouth to retort (and not in a whiney kind of way, either!), but was interrupted by a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said, glad for the distraction. The monotony of deskwork could really get under his skin.

When Lord Danzō passed through the threshold into his office, as grim-faced as ever, that relieved feeling vanished almost immediately.

"How can I help you, Lord Danzō?" Itachi asked, his eyes already scanning the elderly man's entire form, noticing a small black book tucked under his free arm. A Bingo Book, by the looks of it.

"With all respect, Lord Hokage," Danzō started, his politeness mostly for show, "I'm here for her," he finished, nodding at Kushina.

"Me?" Kushina asked, surprised. She didn't have many dealings with the Second-in-Command. If she needed to, she usually worked with his assistant, a monotone Root operative who wouldn't recognize sarcasm if it jumped out of the ground and bit him on the ass.

Danzō nodded. "As you're already aware, members of Team Ro were sent on a classified, highly sensitive mission three weeks ago." Kushina, while not possessing high enough clearance, usually knew more about ANBU missions than she should, considering her son worked with them on a regular basis.

Kushina nodded. She knew that much. She didn't know where they were or what they were actually doing, though.

"What's this about, Lord Danzō?" Itachi asked, curious.

"New intel on a potential threat," Danzō said, opening the black book up to a page with one hand, handing it to Kushina. "Momochi Zabuza, a former member of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen," he continued as Kushina read the man's profile in the Bingo Book. "He's called the Demon of the Bloody Mist, a powerful jōnin who went rogue years ago. Now he's nothing more than a missing-nin, selling his skills to the highest bidder. But he's still very dangerous, and we've just received reports that your son may encounter him."

Kushina's brow knitted.

"You know your son's ability better than anyone," Danzō said, his expression never changing from the usual stone cold stoicism. "Will this be an issue?"

Kushina skimmed through the Kiri missing-nin's bio. He was dangerous, for sure. A lethal weapon forged in the blood of a bloody nation. He would give any ninja in Konoha pause if faced against him.

And then she thought about her son and the things he could do, and suddenly, it didn't matter who Zabuza was.

Kushina shook her head, closing the Bingo Book and holding it out for the man to take back.

"It won't be a problem," she said with finality, complete faith in every word. "It doesn't matter how strong a person is—death trumps all."

Danzō took the book back from her and silence filled the room for a few moments before broken by the war hawk.

"I'll trust your opinion on the matter, then," he said, and then turned around and left the room without a single goodbye.

Kushina glared at the door as it was closed behind the Second-in-Command. "That man gives me the creeps…"

"Kushina-san…" Itachi tried to admonish, but sighed halfway through. He didn't like Danzō much, either.

* * *

Zabuza wasn't the kind of man to believe in superstitions. He lived in a world where people could walk on water and breathe fire (and that was a very common occurrence), but everything still followed certain rules.

One of those rules—the _most important_ one—was that, when you killed someone, they _stayed dead_. Zabuza had killed a lot of people in his lifetime, starting way back when he was just a small child, and in all that time, everyone he put down stayed down.

It was a universal law—an unspoken agreement. When someone killed you, it was common courtesy to stay dead! Right?

So then, why was it that the person before him didn't follow the status quo?

"Wha…" This kind of fear was something he wasn't familiar with. "What are you!?"

The… _thing_ … just looked at him, standing and breathing and _alive_ despite the fact that Zabuza had cut it clean in half a moment ago.

Its black mask had fallen from its face already, showing a young face framed with red hair and whisker-like marks. Its blood-colored eyes looked not at him, but _through_ him.

This… This wasn't _right_. Wasn't _normal_. He had seen the outcome of his instant kill: flesh was torn, bone broken and muscles sliced. Blood, normal, regular, red blood had splashed against his own tanned skin and on the damp grass below. The bisected body had fallen on the ground, lifeless. He had _seen_ the boy die.

And then, he saw _it_.

Like pitch black ash, it emerged from the redheaded boy's body, as if rushing out of every pore. It made a sound like sand pouring onto more sand, or maybe a snake hissing far away in the distance. Zabuza saw it, but just barely, as if looking through thick fog. He saw the black dust wrap around both pieces of the boy, and then _pull_ them together. He saw the boy's body spasm before going completely still again.

That's when the boy sat up, his body whole again, and _looked_ at him.

Zabuza had seen atrocities in his life that would break most people. He had seen mass murder, torture and rape on such a massive scale that it was hard for him to sleep at night. But he was a shinobi, a master assassin and, depending on your perspective, a "bad guy." He had committed some of those atrocities that kept him up at night, even.

But _this_. Zabuza had never seen anything like _this_.

The boy who should have been dead smiled at him, sending cold shivers up and down Zabuza's body. When he stood, Zabuza even took a step back, his fear moving his body on its own.

"That was a nice sneak attack, mister," the boy said, stretching. "I had no idea you were even there. You must have been following me for a while, huh?"

Zabuza was so confused that he didn't answer. Instead, he tightened his grip on his sword and prepared for a life-or-death battle, a proper showdown. The kid was full of openings. He counted twelve in his first precursory glance.

"My kaa-chan says preemptive strikes are a critical method of ninja battles," the kid continued, seemingly uninterested in the situation he was in. "'Kill your enemy before they have a chance to kill you,' she says." He chuckled. "Guess you beat me to the punch…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

But then his smile slipped off his face, vanishing too fast for the expression to have been genuine. He didn't glare or scowl at him, though. Zabuza noticed that his expression was completely devoid of any feelings at all. He wasn't angry or frustrated or scared. He was…

He was nothing…

"Now it's my turn," he said, his tone cold and missing any kind of emotion at all.

This was it, Zabuza thought. The battle would start now. Time to—

A sharp pain exploded in his back and chest, the sensation so intense that it took his breath away and he couldn't even speak.

Slowly, he looked down, eyes bulging and ready to water, and saw…

At first, he saw nothing at all, except for a massive, gaping hole right through his chest. He felt something warm and metallic in his mouth, slipping through his clenched teeth and pursed lips to trickle down his chin.

Then he blinked, and in the moment between one heartbeat and the next, he saw… a hand?

A pitch black hand, as dark as the space between the stars and heavily clawed ran completely through his torso. With all the strength he had left, Zabuza forced himself to look up and over his shoulder, eyes now half-lidded.

Momochi Zabuza's last sight was of death itself. It was shaped like a man, but that was the last similarity it shared with humanity. Its entire body was as black as the void. It… It had no face—just an endless darkness. It was slightly taller than Zabuza himself, looking down at him slightly. And he knew it was looking at him, even though it didn't have eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. He had already died.

* * *

Naruto blinked, looking down at the dead man at his feet.

"I guess I win," Naruto muttered, nudging the body with his foot. Then he looked up at the towering figure of darkness at his side, its form completely still and silent. "We should have asked his name before killing him, huh?" The figure didn't respond. "Oh well," he said, bending over and picking up the massive sword the unnamed stranger had used to bisect him with a few minutes ago.

Naruto had no idea who this person was or what he meant to the world at large, nor the importance of his sword. But he was twelve-year-old boy, and he thought it looked cool.

"It's kinda heavy," he wheezed, struggling to hold the blade. "But I want it!"

* * *

Crow (his mask was back on), dragging his new, big ass sword behind him, found that Sparrow, much like himself, had been ambushed by an unknown kunoichi.

"She's pretty," Crow said, examining the obviously unconscious ninja constricted by ink chains. Even as bruised and bloodied as she was, Crow could still recognize her beauty.

"It's a boy," Sparrow corrected, rubbing his shoulder and wincing.

"Huh?" Crow stammered, voice incredulous. "A boy?"

Sparrow nodded. "He was dressed as a Kirigakure Hunter-nin and tried to make contact with me," he explained, leaning against a tree. "I've actually met several Hunter-nin, so it was obvious that he was lying. He attacked when my back was turned, like I knew he would. That's when I incapacitated him, but not before he could stick a few senbon in my shoulder," he finished, rolling said shoulder slowly.

"You're so cool, Sai-san! You neutralized your threat without even killing him!" Crow said. "I wish I was that good."

Sparrow sighed. "You shouldn't use my name when we're on a mission, _Crow_ ," Sparrow chided, exasperated at the younger boy's logic.

Crow rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, sorry. I forgot," he said, chuckling nervously. Then he looked back at the Hunter-nin imposter and hummed. "Are you sure he's a boy?"

Sparrow rolled his eyes.

* * *

It had only been a day since he'd sent that demon and his underling out, but Gatō was already convinced that they had gone missing, too.

Everyone was vanishing all around him. His empire was crumbling, alongside his sanity, and he didn't know how much longer he would last.

Would he disappear like all the rest, too?

A sudden, harsh knock at his door (he _wasn't_ hiding in his room!) almost made him jump right out of his skin.

"W-What!?" he shouted. "Who is it? What do you want!?"

"We have one of them, sir!" Gatō recognized the voice as a bodyguard he hired during his time in the Land of Wind. "We found him snooping around the hideout!"

And just like that, any fear Gatō had been feeling vanished like so much smoke.

* * *

The short, plump man smirked triumphantly at his newest achievement. His eyes were hidden behind small, dark sunglasses, but the excitement was written all over his face.

He felt victorious. Like he was invincible. His god complex soared to frightening new heights as he stood above the little captured spy.

The Konoha ANBU Black Ops were renowned throughout the nations as some of the deadliest people on the planet. They were the epitome of stealth and skill, true master assassins. And he had caught one, _alive_ no less.

The ANBU might have been rather young, but he still wore the mask of Konoha's Black Ops, and that meant that the greatest of the Great Five recognized his status. He was a threat. He was dangerous.

He was _Gatō_.

When his men found the operative poking around their base, his initial dread disappeared. The idea of a master assassin so close was terrifying, but when they reported that they had restrained him and secured him in a cell, Gatō felt a rush of pride and victory.

His people, his gang of hired swords, had managed to capture an ANBU, the deadliest assassins in the world.

There was no way he would simply leave the operative alone and miss the chance to gloat. That was unthinkable, especially after everything that had happened, after everything he had lost.

And so, the stout businessman-turned-criminal-mastermind found himself in a cell with his newly acquired trophy prisoner. He had five men armed to the teeth with him of course. Victory and bravery were not the same thing.

"What do we have here?" he asked snidely, relishing in the feeling of power that ran through his veins at the beaten form of his would-be killer. "Konohagakure sent a child to strike me down?" He chuckled darkly, kicking the redheaded boy in the side as hard as he could. "Leave it to a _boy_ to send a boy killer," he said, referring to the youth of the Lord Fifth. "What a joke!"

The now unmasked shinobi groaned, making Gatō smile cruelly.

"Did you really think you could take _me_ out!?" he shouted, kicking the brat once more. The high from his false sense of power was almost overwhelming.

Panting, the short, stout man rubbed down his suit, calming himself. His smile was no less cruel, though.

"I'd normally kill you on principle, but you're worth more alive than dead," he said with a superior tone. "I hear shinobi villages pay a great deal for their enemies. You should do nicely." It was the least the boy ninja could do, after costing him so much money and distress. "We'll sell you to the highest bidder once you tell us where the rest of the ANBU in the Land of Waves are."

Officially satisfied with his gloating, Gatō turned to leave the makeshift cell under his hideout, ready to return to his "business," or what was left of it.

That's when the boy started to laugh.

Slowly, as if some great affront had just been committed, Gatō turned to face the redhead again, his eyes narrowed.

"Care to share what's so funny?" Gatō asked in what he probably thought was a dangerous tone.

The boy brought his hands up to his chest (they were bound in front of him, not behind. _Rookies_ ) and pulled down his torn shirt, revealing a… tattoo?

Written on the ninja's abdomen was the kanji for ' _annihilation.'_

* * *

Up above the hideout Crow had been "caught" in, Sparrow was waiting for the go-ahead atop his ink-hawk.

"Now," a voice said, sounding artificial, like two different voices in two very different octaves talking at the same time. He couldn't see anyone, but he knew who, or _what_ , had spoken. Crow often used Kuro to speak through, after all.

Without hesitation, Sparrow made a one-handed hand-seal, and activated his jutsu.

* * *

Gatō looked at the word seemingly painted on the boy's chest and frowned.

That frown turned into absolute panic as the kanji started to glow a malicious red.

The smile the ANBU gave him showed his canines.

"Boom," Crow said, laughing.

Gatō couldn't even curse the boy before his entire base of operations was swallowed up in a massive explosion.

* * *

Sparrow watched above as his technique activated. Developed alongside Crow as a suicide technique, it was one of Sparrow's darker, more powerful techniques, classified as an S-rank, even though it was fairly simple and easy to use.

By creating the seal with his chakra-laced ink and using Crow's body as a sacrifice, and thus an amplifier, the jutsu was particularly useful for clearing out waves of enemies. They didn't have a name for the jutsu yet, since Crow wanted to call it the _Buh-Bye Now no Jutsu_ , which Sparrow refused to refer to it as.

He was several stories above the hideout, but he could still feel the heat the blast produced against his face. It was impossible to look directly at the epicenter. Like the sun, it was so bright that it could easily blind you if you looked at it for too long.

It only lasted for a split second, but in that second, everything in two square miles was annihilated.

 _Mission complete_ , Sparrow thought, waiting above the rubble. Nothing had survived that blast. Sparrow doubted anything could. But he wasn't waiting for a survivor.

Underneath the stone and wood and ash, it slithered through the cracks and around the fires, a black mist slowly coalescing, taking a humanoid shape. The head, completely devoid of features, slowly grew a mouth, a nose, and then eyes. Black faded, replaced by tanned flesh, and crimson red hair sprouted out of a newly formed skull.

Before Sparrow's very eyes, Crow was reborn from the ashes. It was always awe inspiring and horribly terrifying to watch Naruto come back after losing his entire body.

There was silence, like the calm before a storm (or after an explosion, in this case), before Naruto looked up at his friend and smiled, giving the older boy a thumbs-up.

"Buh-Bye Now no Jutsu is a success!" he shouted from below, completely naked (his clothes didn't regenerate after he died, after all), a shit-eating grin on his face.

Sparrow sighed.

* * *

Nothing was ever officially announced. No one ever came forward and claimed responsibility, either.

The general consensus? Gatō had pissed off one of those ninja villages, and lost, well, _everything_ because of it, even his life. No one could prove this, of course, and those who were more conspiracy inclined reminded anyone who would listen that that was exactly the point.

Regardless, the Land of Waves was free of a tyrant after an entire year of being under his thumb. In quick order, the bridge to the mainland was finished, bringing in more people, trade, commerce, and opportunities.

The economy had been wounded after such outrageous taxes, but that, like the people of the Land of Waves, would recover too.

And most importantly, no one would ever learn of Konohagakure's involvement in any of it, not their complicity with Gatō Company's criminal activities, nor their hand in its destruction.

* * *

 **Once the Chūnin Exams begin, more details will be revealed. I'm just waiting for a main character to be introduced before I start fleshing out Naruto's character and his abilities. Up until this point, I've basically just been creating the setting the real story will be taking place in.**

 **The chapter name is based on the suicide technique Naruto used in this chapter. I got the idea from Gaara's uncle when he tried to murder/suicide himself and Gaara.**

 **If there are any experienced beta's out there that bother to read this fic (or any of my stories), PM me if you're interested in working with me. Dreaming of the Phoenix is still my main beta, but I wouldn't mind having an extra one for when I can't get in contact with him.**

 _hyvnn._


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